lacy tree fern, Cyathea cooperi

It's hard to tell from this shot, but lacy tree fern can get 49 feet tall, with eight foot fronds and a trunk up to a foot thick. It's hard not to be fascinated by tree ferns if you read about dinosaurs as a kid. And if you lived in northern places. Nothing like that in Ohio! Except maybe in a conservatory. Cooper's tree fern is popular in conservatories, or if you're an ambitious houseplant person. Native to New South Wales, these have become established in Hawaii, and according to the FDA but not FNA, they're also wild in CA and FL. Matthaei Gardens UM, 10/19/16. Tree fern family, Cyateaceae.