Exactly the same thing has happened to my Dicksonia antarctica. It's been fine for the last 10 years, but after last years winter it seems to be dormant at the moment or is it destined for the compost heap?

I've asked advice from my local garden centre, here's a copy of their responce 'Unfortunately protecting the fronds is not enough, the trunk of the plant is actually the root system and needs packing with straw and fleece during the winter months. However, it is still early days and you may just have a late developer ! Give the plant at least another six weeks before consigning it to the compost heap !'

There appears to be a lot of different information with regards to tree ferns. I think the problem is that there is a lack of specialists who really understand the botany of these plants. Probably if you still have no sign of fronds then it sounds like the tree may be gone. I have the same problem and am interested in trying something.
I am sure I saw a program a number of years ago where a guy who has a Dicksonia antarctica garden said he cuts them in half. Plants the top and the remaining bottom half will re-grow. I know the top will re-grow but what about the remaining bottom half? Is anybody able to tell me definitively what happens to the bottom half? Has anybody tried this?

ive had tree ferns now for over 10 years and have only lost one,i have 8 ranging from a foot in height to 8 foot,and i wouldnt get rid just yet,i had one that got to cold one year and it didnt produce any fronds at the top,but the year after it started to grow from the bottom,they do have a stong root system at the bottom but its the top you need to protect,for it to keep producing fronds at the top,as the top dies off if you dont protect it from frost or cold temps,i wrap mine up before the frost starts,i use gardening fleece and straw,i wrap the fleece around the trunk from the base of the fronds to about 2 foot down,try to bring the fronds up while wraping this helps to protect and also to keep more straw in,as i then stuff straw into the top and around the base of the fronds,so no frost can get to the centre of the trunk,this has worked well for me and the one i lost was not as hardy a kind as dicksonia and i left it to late to cover him,i must say though that one of mine has only just started to produce fronds and its normaly in full crown by now,i think the very cold winter has caused alot,but id wait a bit longer even till next year and see if its not dead as it may start from the bottom again if the top is dead,as they arnt cheep to replace,hope this helps

"Is anybody able to tell me definitively what happens to the bottom half?"

It dies.

D. antarctica doesn't produce secondary crowns. Saying that, lots of D. antarctica trunks do show what appear to be secondary crowns - but that's because the trunk is a great surface for epiphytic plants to germinate on. Our local botanic garden here in Hobart has a number of twin-trunked specimens where two equally vigorous seedlings have grown up together. This may be what is being referred to

So, if the crown is dead, so is the plant. If only the roots have died however, you can re-establish the plant with some TLC - after all that's how they're shipped to the UK, as sawn-off trunks from which all the fronds have been removed. In nurseries over here you typically see the sawn-off trunks growing new fronds whilst stacked-up waiting for sale.

To re-establish it, water directly into the crown itself and do it frequently to keep the crown alive and encourage the new roots to make their way down into the soil (you should even be able to see the tips of the roots making their way down the outside of the trunk). Add a little general purpose fertiliser into the crown from time to time to feed it.

My dormant Dicksonia Antartica is now sprouting a tiny green fond, so it looks as if it is still alive. I shall wrap it up warm this winter, and see what happens next year.

My A dickinsonia had a tough winter 08 and I thought it was dead. However in mid June 09, I saw 'gorilla's knuckles appearing and to my great joy, fronds eventually unfurled. Late but better late than never.
By now anyway, I expect yours will have come back to life. Never give up!

It certainly pays to hang on to a dormant tree fern for quite a while. One of my D. antarctica lost its fronds in January 1996 and I gave it up for dead, but left it where it was growing. In September 1997 it put out a frond and I moved it to a better position where it grew a full head of fronds.

A few years ago I noticed that the crown looked a little odd, broader than usual, and to my delight, the crown began to split into two. So if damaged, this can happen although the self-sporing can also happen too in a very moist environment. Eventually my fern will, I assume, have a beautiful twin crown.

Most of my tree ferns have been sporing for some time and I was very pleased a couple of years ago to find little Dicksonias all over the place - before long I'll have to hack my way through the jungle!

Referring to the discussion about the basal regrowth, I don't know of any evidence that Dicksonia antarctica is capable of doing this. Dicksonia squarrosa certainly can - my 5ft specimen lost its crown through a falling branch and began to grow a basal shoot. I cut off the stem above the shoot and potted it, leaving the shoot to grow in situ, and to my surprise the potted stem grew another basal shoot, so I repeated the process and it grew a second shoot! I think now that it's had enough and the trunk is now beginning to rot! Still, two freebies was worth the trouble!

Mine got destroyed last year in the snow, really thought it was gone forever but in mid June it started to come back to life again. I promised myself then I would protect it during the winter, and stupidly didn't and am in the same boat right now. I am praying that next month will bring about a huge surpise!! Needless to say if I am lucky enough to get a second chance I will protect it this winter. So fingers crossed!!!

I bought my 'twin' antarticas back in April. The pot was extremely dry and the plants looked a bit neglected. I separated the ferns and planted them in two shady spots. I have watered daily during the recent hot spell but the 'new' growth in the crown that was present at the time of purchase has not begun to unfurl. My curiosity got the better of me and when I went to check the flexibility of a 'new' frond it snapped off and turned out to be dead. There are other new fronds that are very green but am now just a bit worried that the plant may be on its way out as there has been no unfurling whatsoever. Seeing the above posts has at least given me hope to hang out until late summer to see if anything develops.
If that plants did suffer a bad drought before I purchased them are they doomed or will their current TLC kick some new life into them?