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Sphaeropteris excelsa
Also called Norfolk Isl. Tree Fern, Smooth Tree Fern
Norfolk Tree Fern is a huge tree-like fern, probably the largest fern species in the world, reaching 20 m or more in the wild. The key to growing it is consistently moist, humid conditions in a well-drained, organic-rich soil.
Sphaeropteris excelsa, synonym Cyathea brownii, commonly known as the Norfolk tree fern or smooth tree fern, is probably the largest fern species in the world. It is endemic to Norfolk Island, in the Pacific Ocean near Australia and New Zealand. It is named after the botanist Robert Brown (1773-1858).
Sphaeropteris excelsa is cultivated as an ornamental tree. It requires a neutral to slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter. The soil must be moisture retentive but well drained. The tree fern will suffer if left to stand in waterlogged soil. Sphaeropteris excelsa requires high humidity and either high rainfall or frequent watering. During the summer months even a very young pot grown plant can consume 0.5 litres (0.13 US gal) of water per day.
Sphaeropteris excelsa requires good light but does best when shaded during the hottest parts of the day. It responds well to fertilization but can be intolerant of some commercial fertilizers producing malformed fronds and a larger but weaker plant. It is able to withstand only light frosts. Larger plants may survive overnight temperatures as low as minus three degrees Celsius.
Sphaeropteris excelsa occurs naturally in subtropical rainforests on Norfolk Island. Average daytime temperatures reach around 23 °C (73 °F) during the summer months falling to around 17 °C (63 °F) during the winter. The highest temperatures likely to be experienced in this environment are around 29 °C (84 °F), the lowest around 6 °C. Relative humidity is fairly consistent at levels between 70 and 80% throughout the year. Yearly rainfall is approximately 1,200 millimetres (47 in).
Scaly tree fern · Black Tree Fern · Sphaeropteris robusta · Sphaeropteris
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sphaeropteris excelsa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
