''Sphaeropteris cooperi'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

''Cyathea cooperi'', also known as lacy tree fern, scaly tree fern, or Cooper's tree fern, is a tree fern native to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

and

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Description

''Sphaeropteris cooperi'' is a medium-to-large, fast growing tree fern, to in height with a thick trunk. The apex of the trunk and unfurling crosiers are particularly attractive, covered as they are with conspicuous long, silky, straw colored scales. The crown is widely spread and the light green fronds may reach a length of . It can also very rarely be found in the colour of a pale pink with an orange stripe going down the middle. This is extremely rare and can be worth about 2,000 dollars.

Cultivation

''Sphaeropteris cooperi'' is one of the most commonly cultivated tree ferns as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

. It is used in gardens and public landscaping. It is hardy and easy to grow. Heavy frosts may kill the fronds, but plants recover quickly. The plant prefers protected, shady moist conditions but can be grown in sunny areas. It does not do well in full sun and must be well watered. It does not grow in its optimal form in full sun. Under its synonym ''Cyathea cooperi'' it has received the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

. It is sometimes mislabeled in the nursery industry as "''Cyathea australis''" (a synonym of '' Alsophila australis'').

Habitat

It has naturalised in

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, and parts of New South Wales where it is not native. It has also naturalized in New Zealand, South Africa, Tanzania, the Mascarene Islands, the

Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, where it is classified as an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

Gallery

Image:Starr_010704-0070_Sphaeropteris_cooperi.jpg, Growing in Makawao,

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

Image:Cyathea cooperi insertion of fronds.JPG, Detail of trunk and insertion of fronds Image:Funchal, Monte - Cyathea cooperi (Australischer Baumfarn) IMG 1891.JPG, Detail of trunk Image:Funchal, Monte - Cyathea cooperi (Australischer Baumfarn) IMG 1893.JPG, Unfurling crosiers Image:Funchal, Monte - Cyathea cooperi (Australischer Baumfarn) IMG 2015.JPG, Unfurling crosiers Image:Funchal, Monte - Cyathea cooperi (Australischer Baumfarn) IMG 1916.JPG, Crown File:Funchal Jardim botanico Cyathea cooperi 2016 1.jpg, In The Madeira botanical garden File:Funchal Jardim Monte Cyathea cooperi 2016 2.jpg, Madeira File:Cyathea cooperi IMG 20190502 120141.jpg, Leaf scars (horizontal trunk) File:Cyathea cooperi P9110031.jpg, Fertile leaf frond

Description

Cultivation

Habitat

Gallery

References

Further reading