# Tree Fern (*Cyathea cooperi*)

Tree ferns are ancient plants that look like big green feathers. They grow in shady forests and have roots that can climb up trees. Tree ferns love moist places and provide homes for small animals.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests
- **Also known as:** Cyathea, Dicksonia, Tree Ferns

![Tree Fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Blendys_garden_inferno_ag.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Amanda Grobe, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blendys_garden_inferno_ag.jpg)

## Appearance

The Tree Fern has a sturdy, woody trunk topped with a crown of large, finely divided fronds, making it resemble a palm. Its fronds are often bright green, distinguishing it from most true trees by its lack of flowers or seeds.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Pteridophyta
- **Class:** Polypodiopsida
- **Order:** Cyatheales
- **Family:** Cyatheaceae
- **Genus:** Cyathea

## Interesting facts

- Some tree ferns can grow taller than a school bus!
- Their gigantic fronds can reach lengths longer than a car!
- They've been on Earth since dinosaurs roamed ancient forests!
- Tree ferns release billions of tiny spores, like living confetti!

## Special abilities

- **Spore Power:** Tree Ferns reproduce using tiny dust-like spores, allowing them to spread without needing flowers or seeds.
- **Living Umbrella:** Its wide fronds create a cool, shady habitat below, helping other moisture-loving plants and animals thrive.
- **Fiddlehead Fronds:** New fronds emerge tightly coiled, called fiddleheads, which slowly unfurl to protect their delicate structure.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-2000 cm
- **Spread:** 150-600 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Giant Garden Slug (*Limax maximus*) — Slugs sometimes munch on their young fronds.
- **Shelter:** Green Tree Frog (*Litoria caerulea*) — Provides cool, moist hiding spots for amphibians.
- **Symbiotic with:** Mycorrhizal fungus (*Glomus intraradices*) — Fungus helps its roots absorb nutrients from soil.
- **Shelter:** Eastern Spinebill (*Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris*) — Birds build nests within its dense fronds.

## Traits

- [Fronded](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fronded): Fronded plants possess large, divided leaves, characteristic of ferns and certain palms.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)
- [Trees](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/trees)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Enjoy looking at tree ferns from a safe distance and avoid touching or climbing on them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Tree Fern?

Compare frond shape, how the leaflets are arranged, the stalk, and any spore clusters you can see. A single detached leaflet often hides the plant's overall growth pattern. Fern Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Tree Fern?

100-2000 cm

### How wide does Tree Fern spread?

150-600 cm

### Is Tree Fern edible?

No

### Is Tree Fern toxic?

None

### What is Tree Fern's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is Tree Fern usually found?

Forests

## Where to spot

- [Yambaru National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/yambaru-national-park) — Okinawa, JP · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Tree Fern: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-fern)