Tree fern "pup" baby tree fern?

[cordyman]

Whats this little cute thing growing out of my tree fern base?

[Yorkshire Kris]

mmm don't think it is any type of fern.

[countrylover]

Acacia

[Yorkshire Kris]

Acacia

That's the one. Very common on tree ferns Cordy.

[cordyman]

Will it survive winter?

Should I remove and pot up in porch, quite fond of the little chap

[musabasjoos]

tree ferns grow under acasia forests apparently.

I cant see that fiddler surviving winter though. I'd pot it up myself and bring it inside over the winter.

[sanatic1234]

I also have these on both of my tree ferns mostly in the middle of the trunk.

[Chad]

They are usually Acacia melanoxylon. They grow fast, so for the survival of the fern [and if you want to pot it up] get it out now.

When it is bit bigger the leaf form will change to the 'simple phyllode' - don't think you have something else then!

Chad.

[Johno S]

I would definetly pot them up and bring them in over winter. Sometimes the seeds lie dormant for a couple of years in the trunks and then I guess when the conditons are right they sprout!

[simon]

I extracted one a few years ago and it grew well to about 7ft tall. Winter 09/10 defoliated it but it recovered. Last winter finished it off.





I never took a picture of it with the mature leaf type but you can just make out the first one about half way up the second pic.

[redsquirrel]

annoying if they take hold un noticed.best thing i think is to rip them out as soon as spotted and in the bin with them

[sanatic1234]

Shame that died simon they looks lovely! i wish i had potted mine up yesterday, i have done exactly what red has suggested. Do these flower at all? not the Dicksonia antarctica!

[simon]

They do. Fairly typical acacia flowers I think. Unfortunately it's not a very garden worthy tree. Not as attractive as those typically found in cultivation and also would make a very large tree if it was at all hardy. I just kept it as a curiosity but no huge loss. If it had got to any size I would have not known what to do with it.

[sanatic1234]

Thanks for that simon, i will keep on binning them then when they re-appear if they re-appear again. Don't really fancy a huge tree growing in my garden.

[cordyman]

Are these related to Mimosa Dealbata (sp?)

I used to have on thinking about it at my old house, and it died 3 winters ago