The Majesty of Dicksonia antarctica ("soft tree fern" or "man fern"
Known as the Tasmanian tree fern, this ancient species is the cornerstone of our island's misty rainforests. With its iconic textured trunk and sprawling lush fronds, it brings a prehistoric elegance and natural tranquillity to any landscape. Bert and Ruth Van den Berg of Fernmania have spent decades perfecting the art of nurturing these slow-growing giants, ensuring each fern carries the authentic soul of the Tasmanian wilderness.
Botanical Specifications
Size Chart & Selection Guide
Our Dicksonia antarctica specimens are categorised by trunk height and container volume, ensuring consistency for large-scale landscaping and nursery supply.
Nursery Starter
Trunk: 15cm - 30cm
Perfect for retail nurseries and smaller garden designs. These young ferns are established with vigorous root systems.
Standard Grade
Trunk: 60cm - 90cm
The primary choice for domestic landscaping, providing immediate verticality and textural contrast.
Landscape Grade
Trunk: 1.2m - 1.8m
Professional grade specimens for commercial developments and public parklands. Robust and healthy crowns.
Majestic Pillar
Trunk: 1.8m+
Rare, grand specimens for botanical gardens and high-end projects. Premium export-quality trunks.
Subject to availability!
All subject to availability. International shipping quotas apply.
Planting & Care: Ensuring the Longevity of Your Dicksonia antarctica
Dicksonia antarctica is by far the most abundant tree fern growing in Tasmania. It has a fibrous trunk, prefers a cool, damp climate, partial shade, and is commonly found at altitudes of up to 1,000 metres.
They grow best in areas with rainfall exceeding 1,000 mm per year, but in drier regions will still thrive in moist gullies and sheltered environments.
These tree ferns are extremely robust and can be cut, stored, transported and successfully regrown, even after extended periods, provided the trunk is kept moist. They are carefully harvested without soil, which avoids many of the quarantine issues associated with exporting other live plants such as palms.
Dicksonia antarctica is also tolerant of fire and will readily re-shoot after relocation.
The fern grows at a rate of approximately 3.5 to 5 centimetres per year and begins producing spores at around 20–25 years of age. It can grow in a range of soil types but performs best in fertile, organic-rich conditions.
When planted in the right conditions, Dicksonia antarctica is a hardy and long-lived plant. The trunk should be kept consistently moist, particularly during warmer months, as it absorbs water through both the fibrous trunk and its root system.
Regular watering and protection from strong winds will help the fern establish successfully. Once established, it requires minimal maintenance and will continue to produce new fronds from the crown each growing season.
These ferns are ideally suited to shaded gardens, rainforest-style landscapes and sheltered environments where humidity and soil moisture can be maintained. For these reasons, Dicksonia antarctica remains one of the most widely used and recognisable tree ferns in landscape design worldwide.
— From the Van den Berg Family