{"product_id":"dicksonia-antarctica","title":"Soft Tree Fern - Dicksonia antarctica","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSoft Tree Fern - Dicksonia antarctica\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA tree fern is bought for its trunk, because that is the part that took decades to make. \u003cem\u003eDicksonia antarctica\u003c\/em\u003e adds only 30 to 50mm of trunk in a year, and carries a crown of arching fronds two to three metres long above it. It is the hardiest of the commonly grown Australian tree ferns, occurring naturally from the border ranges of Queensland down through Victoria to Tasmania, and it takes light frost once settled in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy Soft Tree Fern\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstant Structure\u003c\/strong\u003e: The trunk delivers height and presence immediately, in a way no shrub of the same age can.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFrond Span\u003c\/strong\u003e: A mature crown throws fronds 2 to 3m long, casting deep shade and creating a genuine fernery microclimate beneath.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCold Hardiness\u003c\/strong\u003e: Established plants withstand light frost to around minus 5C, far more than tropical tree ferns will accept.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFibrous Trunk\u003c\/strong\u003e: The trunk is a mass of aerial roots that absorbs water directly, which is why it must be watered as well as the soil.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShade Requirement\u003c\/strong\u003e: It belongs in filtered or full shade with shelter from hot dry wind, not in open western sun.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFernery and shaded courtyard\u003c\/strong\u003e: Grouped at varied trunk heights it creates a layered, cool green enclosure.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUnder established canopy\u003c\/strong\u003e: It thrives beneath tall eucalypts and rainforest trees where little else will grow.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoolside and screened garden rooms\u003c\/strong\u003e: The soft frond texture suits sheltered outdoor living areas away from direct sun.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShaded banks and gullies\u003c\/strong\u003e: Ideal on steep, damp, south facing ground where moisture collects naturally.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 to 2m for a grouped fern grove\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.5 to 3m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Autumn and spring, avoiding establishment in midsummer heat\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moist, humus rich, acidic and free draining; never let the root plate dry out and never site it in a hot dry western position\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water the trunk and crown, not just the ground, every day for the first fortnight and then two or three times weekly through the first two summers. A thick leaf litter mulch and shelter from wind keep the emerging fronds from browning at the tips.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3 to 5m over many years\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3 to 4m frond spread\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Slow\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evergreen\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dappled to full shade, morning sun only\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eastern Australia, from south-east Queensland through to Tasmania\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e None, a fern that reproduces from spores\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":59795281117470,"sku":"ND-0618-400MM","price":800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"75L","offer_id":59795281150238,"sku":"ND-0618-75L","price":950.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"90L","offer_id":59795281183006,"sku":"ND-0618-90L","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100L","offer_id":59795281215774,"sku":"ND-0618-100L","price":1075.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"150L","offer_id":59795281248542,"sku":"ND-0618-150L","price":1650.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200L","offer_id":59795281281310,"sku":"ND-0618-200L","price":1750.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400L","offer_id":59795281314078,"sku":"ND-0618-400L","price":3500.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/MkBLZYWYnmgduSSIAOSfq_7dRNpGoW.jpg?v=1787312462","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/dicksonia-antarctica","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}