Between my drivewaw and the fence with my neighbor I have a strip of dirt about 3.5 feet wide where I plant some ornamental plants. I have 2 australian tree ferns planted about 14 feet apart.I bought them 2.5 years ago at Home depot. One was 12 inches tall. The other was 18 inches tall. Both of them grew a lot.The one that was 12 inches tall is a monster.It has huge size leaves and keeps growing fast.The one that was 12 inches tall keeps growing but at a slower rate.They both have received the same treatment as far as watering and fertilization.The one that was 12 inces tall is a little yellowish and shows some burns at the tips of the leaves.I have added ammoniam sulfate and iron granules.The one that was 18 inches tall is very green keeps putting out branches or leaves at a faster rate than the other. Any ideas as to what might be causing these differences between both. Note:The soil is very permeable in both cases and the PH is slightly different.

Sounds like the fern is not getting enough water. Be sure to water the entire trunk of the fern everyday. Keep in mind the trunk is actually a collection of roots that grow upward pushing the leaves taller. Freezing could have done some permanent damage. Try the watering and see if it recovers.

There is a treefern discussion group on Yahoo, but I'm being blocked when I try to give you the e-mail address. Why not try this treefern discussion group? Plenty of people in the US grow Dicksonia anatarctica and Cyathea cooperi, so there must be some available at nurseries.

Sally, I had the opposite experience. Most of the ferns I planted, even the ostrich fern died. 100% of the hosta I planted lived, even the one I whacked because I mistook it for a weed. Even the ostrich fern lived in the same spot for 3 years before spreading. There may be some factors in my area that favors the hosta. May be hosta do better than fern in alkaline soil. May be hosta have lower water requirements than ferns. I notice the death usually come when there is high heat and little water. Both the fern and hosta take it in the chin, but the hosta seems to take it better. Paul