Self started Tree Fern from spore.

[Sean]

I always wanted a tree fern and living where they thrive, I knew it was just a matter of time.
These things are very expensive here so I always had my eye open for one.

While touring Long Beach California by the Aquarium of the Pacific, I saw a few tree ferns and one frond had been broken but still hanging from the rest of the stem. Upon examination of the fronds, I saw spore dehiscence (release of spore) so I removed a piece of the dried frond, wrapped it in a Kleenex and brought it home to Vancouver.

I took two pots of soil and poured boiling water over it a few times to kill any pathogens. Once at room temperature, I tapped the spore over the surface of the soil in the two pots then placed them in a large Ziploc baggie and kept it on the floor by the window. After about a month I saw a green gelatine like structure over the soil surface, after another month, baby ferns began to grow. I was able to separate out a few individuals and pot them up separately. I still have some small ones but the photo attached is of two plants in a large pot. This one is a couple years old now and growing well. I expect it will be many years before it has a trunk but I am happy to know I was able to start some tree ferns for free from scratch.

Cheers,
Sean

[Kittyzee]

That's a fascinating thread, Sean.  I always like to know how to start things from seed and had no idea about a tree fern.  I am green with envy in that many ferns here just don't grow.  Even an hour or two south of here in woods they grow wild, but not here.  It's so flat and hot and dry, even in the shade here with winds that burn their fronds to a crisp.  That's a beautiful pic of the fiddle head--I'd have that framed up and shown off in my house somewhere! 

[Indiana Karen]

I did a Google image search...........those are wonderful.  I don't believe I have ever seen one before.

You must have a lot of patience.

We have large areas in our woods covered with ferns.  They are so pretty in the spring, especially when you find morel mushrooms growing in them!

[greenthumbnails]

Wow, I don't think I would even know what a spore looked like. That is pretty cool, I cannot imagine how small everything was to deal with and dissect in the beginning.

[Sean]

Wow, I don't think I would even know what a spore looked like. That is pretty cool, I cannot imagine how small everything was to deal with and dissect in the beginning.

Fern spore looks like dust when it begins dehiscence, a single fern frond can have billions of spore which goes to show that spore is not the greatest mode of reproduction but the family of ferns is ancient so we know that it works well enough. Many ferns grow in or on trees just like many orchids and become epiphytic so the small spore release can travel very far on the wind before finding a suitable location to germinate and grow on.
When I was spreading the spore on the soil surface from the dried frond, much of it blew away just from my breathing through my nose. I will admit however that I had hundreds of gametophytes in the beginning and as they grew into actual plants and crowded each other out, only the strongest were moved up to larger pots and grown out.
All total, I have about three small tree ferns and the two larger ones from this whole experiment. More than enough for what I need but far less than what I started with in the beginning. I could have harvested many more but I was not patient enough to pull out tiny plantlets and pot them up separately. It's been a few years but I am glad that I tried this.

Cheers,
Sean

[miguynmkoi]

Cool story of your fern.  Love the the young fiddlehead shape.