Giant ferns make epic Scottish trip
Aglade of tree ferns residing in a Scottish glasshouse have been moved hundreds of miles to a new outdoor location.
Five Dicksonia antarctica tree ferns in the Ferns and Fossils House in Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, due to undergo restoration, have been relocated to the balmy conditions at satellite garden Logan Botanic Garden in south west Scotland.
As they were too tall to dig up and move easily, the garden’s team first removed the 2m-long fronds on each fern. Then, using a system of chainsaws and guy ropes, carefully removed the top 4m of each ‘trunk’. The trunks contain a thick mass of fibrous roots, which enable the ferns to re-establish. They’re now replanted outside for the first time in their lives.
“These magnificent tree ferns will join existing palms and tree ferns to form a spectacular
antipodean forest,” said Logan curator Richard Baines. “In Edinburgh the plants require the warmth of the glasshouses. Logan is warmed by the Gulf Stream, we can grow plants from throughout the southern hemisphere outdoors.”
Four remaining dicksonia will remain at the Edinburgh garden to be replanted in the glasshouse once restoration of the structure is complete.