Dicksonia squarrosa is rarely (almost never) seen in the UK these days, but is finally making a comeback! There is a lot more to the story, but that is maybe a blog for another day...
 
Also known as wheki or rough tree fern, squarrosa is a very slender and elegant looking fern that is native to New Zealand. With a trunk around 6-8" diameter that is almost black in appearance, topped with compact dark green fronds it brings a totally different look from Dicksonia antarctica.
 
These specimens have been sourced from higher altitude locations to bring the best possible hardiness, though they love the wet and are usually found in swamp like conditions in habitat. We would not recommend trying to replicate habitat for permanent planting unless your location is totally frost free. Whilst reportedly hardy down to -5°C, with protection, we advise caution and would recommend keeping potted and bringing frost free for winter if you see regular or sustained lows below -3°C.
 
Ultimate height in habitat is around 30 foot, but rarely do specimens reach this. Growth rate is faster than antarctica, but still slow, relatively speaking you can expect around 2-4" of trunk growth per year in optimal conditions (in the ground, frost-free and very well watered), once established.
 
Please note that unlike DAs, DS cannot withstand long periods without roots, so these are potted up on arrival in UK with around 1 foot of trunk buried in the soil. Prices shown are for the amount of trunk above the soil level rather than the total trunk, so a 1 foot DS is more comparable to a 2 foot DA than a 1 foot.