I made this page as a source of information for those of us in USDA zones 9a or colder about how to grow tree ferns. Giant, primeval-looking fronds atop a tall trunk recall an era of dinosaurs and volcanoes and carboniferous swamps. Not only that, but they also give a very tropical feel to the landscape and make any front lawn feel like Hawaii. I have tried not to make this too technical, but I have underlined some words that will come up later in the page. Technically speaking, however, they are not real trees, because true ferns do not develop a woody trunk that functions like other trees.
All ferns have a rhizome , from which the fronds emerge.
A tree fern is simply a case of the rhizome being very long and strong enough to support itself. On treeferns, the fronds are held at the top of the plant in a spreading manner. They form by uncurling from the crown in the center, which is at the top of the trunk. The crown might be considered the most important part of the plant, since that is where all the leaf growth comes from. If it is destroyed, no more croziers will emerge from it, and the rest of the plant will eventually die.