Cyathea cooperi

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information

Wikipedia links:        Monilophytes > Cyatheales > Cyatheaceae > Cyathea cooperi

Other links:    

Plant  information

Common name:         Scaly Tree-fern

• Also, lacy tree fern or Cooper's tree fern

Conservation status: Least concern

Etymology:   

• Derived from the Greek kyatheion, meaning "little cup", and refers to the cup-shaped sori on the underside of the fronds

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Spores:                            

Leaves:         

• The crown is widely spread and the light green fronds may reach a length of 4–6 m

• 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 

Stem & branches: 

• The apex of the trunk and unfurling crosiers are particularly attractive, covered as they are with conspicuous long, silky, straw coloured scales

Roots:         

Habit:        

• It is a medium-to-large fast growing tree fern, to 15 m in height with a 30 cm thick trunk

Habitat:   

• It has naturalised in Western Australia, South Australia, and parts of NSW where it is not native

• It has also naturalized in New Zealand, South Africa, Tanzania, the Mascarene Islands, the Azores, Madeira and Hawaii, where it is classified as an invasive species

Distribution:                  

• Native to Australia, in NSW and Queensland

Additional notes:     

• Sphaeropteris cooperi, synonym Cyathea cooperi

• Cultivation

  • It is one of the most commonly cultivated tree ferns as an ornamental plant

  • 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's Award of Garden Merit

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

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphaeropteris_cooperi (2023)