Lower Risk

Sphaeropteris cooperi (Lacy Tree Fern)

(Cyathea cooperi)

This medium sized tree fern grows to 12m tall. It is native to eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales (i.e. from Cooktown in northern Queensland south to the central regions of New South Wales) and is naturally found in tropical lowlands, along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales. This tree fern has been in the ornamental plant trade in Australia since 1851, and has become very popular due to its rapid growth form, hardiness and aesthetic appeal. It has naturalised overseas in USA (Hawaii) and La Reunion, and has become invasive in South Africa, New Caledonia, Mauritius and New Zealand. In Australia it has naturalised beyond its native range. It is regarded as a minor environmental weed in south-western Western Australia (between Perth and Albany) where it has escaped cultivation and become naturalised along streams and around swamps. Similarly, in NSW it has naturalised beyond its native range in the coastal districts of southern and central NSW becoming well established in moist gullies and along creeks in bushland (e.g. in Lane Cove National Park). In some parts of southern Australia, it is considered a “sleeper weed”. There are several major horticultural varieties of this fern including Cyathea ‘Brentwood’ which has paler fronds and scales and Cyathea ‘Robusta’ which tends to be darker in both characters. Propagation is via spores only.