Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Ferns

Alsophila smithii

soft tree fern

A slow-growing tree fern with an upright trunk covered in chestnut-coloured scales eventually reaching 5-8m tall. Fronds to 2.5m long are held horizontally from the crown and made up of soft, delicate leaflets, the longest reaching to 50cm, dark green above and paler green on the undersides

Synonyms

Cyathea smithii

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Cyatheaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright
Genus: A genus of tree ferns, native to the tropics and subtropics, with upright stems and large, dark green fronds on top of the stems
Name status: Correct
Plant range: New Zealand

How to grow

Cultivation

In areas prone to frost, grow in a container under glass with a minimum winter temperature of 10°C. The plant may be placed outside during the summer in a sheltered and partially-shaded spot. It requires a moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil; in hot, dry summers water the stem as well as the soil, but avoid watering the crown in winter. Apply liquid fertiliser monthly during the growing season. Will grow without winter protection only in milder areas

Propagation

Propagate by sowing spores as soon as ripe

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Dead or damaged fronds may be removed as necessary

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.