How Dicksonia antarctica Improves the Quality of Surrounding Plant Life

Dicksonia antarctica: A fern that supports abundant other plants

Spend any time in a Tasmanian rainforest and you’ll notice how often Dicksonia antarctica appears. They are contributing to the conditions that allow other plant life to thrive around them, and they have the most amazing trunks.

Beautiful Disksonia antarctica in Evercreech Falls walking track showing the close ecological relationships it forms, hosting other plants

More Than Just a Fern

Dicksonia antarctica is often referred to as the Tasmanian Tree Fern (man fern or soft tree fern), but in reality, it plays a much bigger role than a typical plant. The trunk is made up of a dense, fibrous root mass that naturally holds moisture. Over time, this creates the perfect surface for other plant life to establish. It’s very common to see:

• Mosses

• Liverworts

• Small ferns

• Orchids

• Other moisture-loving plants

Growing directly on or around the trunk. This isn’t unusual, it’s just how these environments naturally develop.

We also see them often in the wild intertwined with other trees and larger plants, forming a close ecological relationship where they seem to both benefit.

Magnificent Disksonia antarctica in Evercreech Falls walking track, showing the close ecological relationships it forms, hosting other plants on it's trunk. Also shows moisture retention.

How Tree Ferns Support Other Plants

The structure of the trunk allows it to act almost like a natural growing medium. It holds moisture, provides stability, and creates a cooler, more protected environment for smaller plants to establish. This is why you often see multiple layers of growth in rainforest areas:

• Ground-level plants

• Mid-level ferns

• Epiphytic growth on trunks

It’s all part of a naturally balanced system where different plants occupy different spaces.

Moisture and Microclimate

One of the key features of Dicksonia antarctica is how well it retains water. The trunk absorbs moisture from the surrounding environment and holds it over time. This helps:

• Maintain consistent hydration

• Support nearby plant life

• Create a cooler, more stable local environment

That’s why areas with tree ferns often feel noticeably more humid and protected.

Why This Matters in Landscaping

This natural behaviour is exactly why Dicksonia antarctica works so well in gardens. When placed in the right conditions, it doesn’t just sit as a feature plant - it becomes part of a system. Other plants will naturally begin to:

• Grow around the base

• Establish in the surrounding soil

• In some cases, attach to the trunk itself

This is how you achieve that “established” look much faster, by working with how the plant behaves in nature.

Close-up of a Dicksonia antarctica trunk covered in moss and small ferns thriving in the moisture-retaining surface. From Evercreech Falls walking track.

Using the Base - Nothing Goes to Waste

One of the often-overlooked parts of Dicksonia antarctica is the base. Even sections of the trunk can continue to support plant life due to their fibrous, moisture-retaining structure. In the wild at end of life, the base quickly overgrown with new life. This makes them ideal for:

• Mounting other plants

• Creating natural garden features

• Supporting ferns, orchids, and other species

It’s a practical way of making full use of the plant while continuing to support further growth. Ferns that would be destroyed in forestry operations are cut low so the base can be re-utilised, and the plant lives on in the trunk head, ready to go to a new home where it will be appreciated.

Dicksonia antarctica naturally intertwined with a neighbouring tree, showing how tree ferns support diverse rainforest ecosystems. From Evercreech Falls walking track.

A Better Understanding of the Plant

Once you understand how Dicksonia antarctica functions in the wild, it changes how you use it. It’s not just a standalone feature - it’s a beautiful fern that increases the moisture content around it which helps other plants thrive:

• Supports other plants

• Holds moisture

• Helps create a more natural, layered environment

That’s what makes it such a strong part of both Tasmania’s rainforests and well-designed gardens.

Dicksonia antarctica growing alongside native rainforest trees, demonstrating the close ecological relationship between Tasmanian tree ferns and surrounding plant life. From Evercreech Falls walking track.

That's how Dicksonia antarctica improves the quality of surrounding plant life. If you want to see some magnificent specimens, go to the Evercreech Falls walking track, where you can see all these featured here and more! use this link for the official website: https://waterfallsoftasmania.com.au/waterfalls/evercreech_falls

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