# hawaiian tree fern



## cnycharles (Jun 15, 2008)

I know it isn't hardly as cute as a puppy, but last Christmas time I bought a few things from suncatchers of hilo in hawaii. The tree ferns and coffee seedlings are still alive but the macadamia seedling bit the dust! I bought tree fern crowns that had no fronds, and both of them survived; one I sold to someone at work who really likes unusual plants (though they technically haven't paid me yet) : / 
I had interest in tree ferns starting a few years ago when I had seen an australian tree fern somewhere and got the idea of growing one and trying to get a small orchid to grow on the trunk! After reading around about how irritating the scales and fronds can be, I strongly decided against an australian tree fern and started looking for a hawaiian one. They are not irritating and I believe people do eat the heart of hawaiian tree ferns. People did import australian ones in hawaii for landscape purposes but they have escaped and are taking over large areas of hawaii. Maybe the coqui tree frogs will adapt and learn to eat them!  The plant is pretty cool with the fern-like fronds, but they can't dry out at all. They are described as growing in the moss in the wettest parts of hawaii which I think is pretty wet!






new frond






I have it in one of my orchid growing spaces that has a humidifier, but it is rapidly getting too large for that space. I have read that people grow tree ferns outdoors in san francisco; I definitely don't have that option here in central ny unless for a few months in the spring/summer. Likely the neighborhood cats and other critters would chew on it anyhow.


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## Heather (Jun 15, 2008)

Cool! 
I've really grown to love ferns over the last year. I really want to start growing some maidenhairs at home (outdoors) but don't know the first thing about it.


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## cnycharles (Jun 15, 2008)

I think maidenhair ferns grow around here where it is really calcareous. If you've heard of herkimer diamonds (quartz crystals), behind the mining area there have been lots of tailings pushed over a bank, much of the ground is limestone. maidenhair ferns love this area. I think they also like it to be fairly rich but that is just observation from spots in the adirondacks where I went to see some native orchids and there were lots of maidenhair ferns growing there. If you had a rich, moist spot and were to incorporate some crushed limestone (not pulverized dust but maybe that would work anyhow) it would probably grow just fine. I'll see if I can find some more info on it

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Adiantum pedatum--American Maidenhair Fern (in this case northern maidenhair fern)


Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8 
Height: 18 in Spread: 12 in 
Type: herbaceous perennial 

Comments: This hardy fern is native to North America. 
Provide a shaded growing area with a rich, well-drained, 
alkaline, soil. Maintain an adequately moist soil. The 
fronds (Vis. 1) are supported by nearly black stems and may 
provide a display of yellow fall foliage color. 

Propagation: Propagate by division.


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## Heather (Jun 15, 2008)

Hmmm, interesting! I think I might be able to at least try one!


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## NYEric (Jun 15, 2008)

Nice. I need to grow something else that likes it wet.


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## SlipperFan (Jun 16, 2008)

That is a beautiful fern.


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## cnycharles (Jun 16, 2008)

NYEric said:


> Nice. I need to grow something else that likes it wet.



 Heh! I think hawaiian tree ferns and you are a perfect match! Check out suncatchers of hilo on ebay; they have instant auctions for seedlings and other hawaiian goodies (I would love to try the macadamia chocolate toffee crunch but it seemed very expensive plus shipping) plus other plants. I think the tree fern crowns were $8.95 or so and if you were to get just a crown or two of that then the shipping priority mail wouldn't be much at all and you'd get the plant likely in two days. From what i've read it is good to get two crowns at least just to make sure that one of them sprouts fronds. Also you should wait quite a while before deciding that one that hasn't sprouted yet is not alive; I had one of them that didn't sprout for nearly two months and then a frond came out and was fine. The other one grew right away. They suggest to use volcanic rock, and if you literally water all the time then using a media that is mostly that might be a good idea!


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## paphioboy (Jun 17, 2008)

Another suggestion for you fern-lovers... There is a beautiful Malaysian fern called the golden chicken fern (I am not making this up..). The botanical name is Cibotium barometz. It has golden/orange coloured hairs growing from the rhizome where the leaves sprout out... I don't grow it, but would like to...Good luck growing..! 

BTW, Heather, I think most ferns from the genus Adiantum love limestone in the mix. The maidenhair (Adiantum raddianum/capillus-veneris?) is pretty easy to grow. I grow in well-drained soil. Just do not bury the rhizome too deep...


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 17, 2008)

Alas, that Cibotiums are not very cold hardy and have overly long stipes (petioles). I love the fuzzy croziers they send up. One species that is fairly cold tolerant, down to near freezing, is the Mexican C. schiedei. It too has the lovely fuzzy white croziers, but grows a bit smaller than C. glaucum. Still at $9 for a pup, that's a great deal. Sometimes The Fern Factory in Anaheim, CA carries C. barometz, but it ain't cheap. They also carry C. glaucum and C. schiedei, but availability changes quickly.


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## NYEric (Jun 17, 2008)

This place is so informative! I'll be running to the poor-house at this rate!


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## arcticshaun (Jun 17, 2008)

I love that Hawaiin tree fern. I had to google to see the mature plants. It looks like it gets pretty big when fully mature. I've got tree fern spores (mixed) knowing that it would be a long term project. I haven't started them yet but I've successfully grown several types of ferns from spores. A birdsfoot type volunteer, a noid species from a fronds in a floral arrangement and lots of ostrich fern babies just returned to my garden after a bitter winter (about 7 or 8 out of the hundreds of fern babies that I originally started inside).


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## SlipperFan (Jun 17, 2008)

NYEric said:


> This place is so informative! I'll be running to the poor-house at this rate!


You won't be alone!


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## cnycharles (Jun 17, 2008)

arcticshaun said:


> I love that Hawaiin tree fern. I had to google to see the mature plants. It looks like it gets pretty big when fully mature.


I think it can, but like other things if it is grown indoors without the higher light that it prefers it would take a while. I need to find the happy medium where I can fertilize it just enough so that it stays happy but doesn't get too big or grow too fast. I've read that if the fronds start getting smaller and smaller, it's a sign that it isn't receiving enough nutrients and will kick the bucket unless more feed is given

Oh, and Eric, the instructions that came with it say that it prefers to be watered over the crown twice a day!


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## NYEric (Jun 18, 2008)

There's a small one or a more mature one on eBay, which to choose? STOP!!!


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## cnycharles (Jun 18, 2008)

NYEric said:


> There's a small one or a more mature one on eBay, which to choose? STOP!!!



that's an easy one for an accomplished orchid killer I mean grower like myself; start small and when it dies learn all you can and then with the money you saved from the first one buy another small one or go nuts and get the bigger one!


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## cnycharles (Jun 18, 2008)

eric,
I have even another plant that is perfect for you! I have had a plant of papyrus growing in front of my kitchen window above the sink. I've got some shelves in the window and plastic catches the runoff from watering those plants. The pot of papyrus sits in the water and soaks up the extra. You could probably put one in your irrigation flood systems to soak up extra fertilizer as they will grab it and grow. They would likely be a good plant for wetland pollution remediation if they were able to pick up metals and other things like that. 
I can't guarantee that my plants wouldn't have some bug that might cause problems with your plants, but they are more than happy to be growing in standing water. Can propagate them by taking a mature leaf 'head' and turning it upside-down into the water, where plantlets will form. (or just divide the parent plant)
I guarantee that it won't die from being overwatered, unless you keep the plant completely submerged and even that might not kill it as it would probably just grow taller...


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## NYEric (Jun 19, 2008)

Yeah that and lotus like paphioboy! What next!?


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## cnycharles (Jun 19, 2008)

well, if you make it up here to see the orchids this weekend, the papyrus would be free. somebody have some free lotus?


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## paphioboy (Jun 20, 2008)

> Yeah that and lotus like paphioboy! What next!?



Eric, I think you should give away all your orchids and switch to water plants...oke: 



> well, if you make it up here to see the orchids this weekend, the papyrus would be free. somebody have some free lotus?



My lotus sets seed everytime it blooms... I would gladly send them to you, but you have to pay postage...


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## NYEric (Jun 20, 2008)

What!?!?  Orchids aren't water plants!?!?! 
Charles I'm looking up bus service to Oriskany, NY.


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## cnycharles (Jun 20, 2008)

NYEric said:


> What!?!?  Orchids aren't water plants!?!?!
> Charles I'm looking up bus service to Oriskany, NY.



(smile) I'm not sure a bus will go to Oriskany, but they definitely go to Utica. I also have taken amtrak from Utica to Penn Station and back again. Not bad during warm weather when you don't have to depend on train heaters that I've been told don't work... I went to remsen bog tonight after work and there are hundreds of orchids flowering and about to on a spot about an acre in size. Tons of showy ladyslippers, lots of bog candles, lots of grass pinks, a handful of twayblades (loesel's), there will likely be over a thousand rose pogonias though only a few will be open tomorrow. up the road there are shining ladies tresses and further up the road there are large pad leaf orchids in flower though need long clothing and/or bug spray; all situations require boots except if standing on edge of road at remsen bog but cheap ones I use can be found at walmart on the way up the hill


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## NYEric (Jun 22, 2008)

R U Kidding?!? I have tons of boots and waders from fly-fishing in Roscoe. I'm trying to organize a trip your way w/in the next few weeks.


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