Dicksonia antarcticaDicksonia antarctica is a soft tree fern with large arching fronds divided into countless fine green leaflets. New fronds emerge as tightly coiled croziers covered in brown scales, then slowly unfurl into broad feathery growth. Firm midribs support the much softer layered foliage.The trunk is formed very slowly from accumulated roots and old leaf bases, producing a thick dark column with a rough fibrous surface. Each new flush opens only at its top, gradually increasing the width of the canopy while the trunk records years of vertical growth below. An old specimen can reach tree-like proportions, with a high umbrella of fronds above a base that began almost hidden beneath them. The contrast between slow heavy trunk formation and the repeated unfurling of delicate green fronds defines the plant at every age.
