Cyathea tomentosissima Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals
Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

Cyathea tomentosissima

£53.99
Overwinter under coverShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size

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Description

One of the most coveted small tree ferns in cultivation, Cyathea tomentosissima brings the lush, prehistoric drama of the rainforest understorey to gardens with very little space to spare. Native to the cool, misty highlands of New Guinea, it forms a slender trunk clothed in extraordinary coppery-golden hairs, from which unfurl bright green, finely divided fronds. The species name means "most densely woolly", and it is that thick, tactile, almost metallic felt of scales on the croziers and stem that makes this such a collector's plant.

Why gardeners want it

Where the familiar Dicksonia can quickly outgrow a courtyard, this is a genuinely compact, clump-forming evergreen that stays in proportion for years. The new fiddleheads emerge wrapped in dense golden tomentum, slowly uncoiling into airy, fresh green foliage that catches the light beautifully in a shaded corner. If you have been searching for a hardy tree fern with real character and rarity, this is one of the most rewarding choices available.

  • Slender trunk densely cloaked in striking golden-brown scales
  • Compact habit, ideal for small gardens, courtyards and large pots
  • Evergreen fronds for year-round structure and texture

It thrives in partial to full shade, in a sheltered, humid position out of hot, drying sun and cold winds. Give it a moist but well-drained, neutral to acid soil rich in leaf mould, and keep both the rootball and the trunk reliably damp through the growing season, misting in dry spells. Over many years it reaches around 1 to 1.5m, so it never overwhelms its setting. As one of the more cold-tolerant small tree ferns, it withstands short frosts once established, but in most of the UK it is best treated as borderline hardy: protect the central crown with fleece or dry straw over winter, or grow it in a container that can be moved under cover. Those choosing to buy a tree fern for a pot will find it adapts happily to a loam-based ericaceous mix.

Every tree fern we offer is hand-selected and nursery-grown for a healthy crown and strong, well-rooted growing point, so your plant arrives ready to establish and thrive. Whether you are browsing tree fern for sale to anchor a shady border or add an exotic focal point, this rare cyathea is a standout in any Hardy Exotics collection.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

Give me sun with a little shade and bring me under cover before the frosts.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

Cyathea tomentosissima needs partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is frost tender and must come under cover for winter.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Tender (H2): down to around 1°C. Tolerates cool conditions but not frost; protect or bring in over winter.

Tender (RHS H2). A compact, woolly-crowned highland tree fern for a sheltered, humid, frost-free spot or conservatory. Read moreShow less

Tender (RHS H2). A compact, woolly-crowned highland tree fern for a sheltered, humid, frost-free spot or conservatory.

Position

Partial shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSheltered
Partial shade, sheltered. Read moreShow less

Partial shade, sheltered.

Soil

LoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Moist, humus-rich, free-draining soil. Read moreShow less

Moist, humus-rich, free-draining soil.

Watering

Keep the crown and trunk consistently moist; never let it dry out. Read moreShow less

Keep the crown and trunk consistently moist; never let it dry out.

Mature size

HeightUp to 1–1.5 m
Spread1–1.5 m

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen (stays evergreen only when kept frost-free over winter)

Pruning

Trim only the oldest browned fronds. Leave the crown and trunk fibres intact and protect the growing tip over winter.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets.

Native range

New Guinea (highlands)

Family

Cyatheaceae

Also known as

Cyathea tomentosissima

Genus

Cyathea
More on caring for houseplants What does bright indirect light mean? Should I mist my houseplants?
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cyathea tomentosissima hardy enough for a UK garden?

It is one of the more cold-tolerant small tree ferns, coming from cool, misty New Guinea highlands, and will take short spells to around -5 to -8C once established. In most of the UK treat it as borderline hardy: grow it in a sheltered spot and protect the crown and trunk with fleece or dry straw over the coldest months.

Does it need sun or shade?

Partial to full shade suits it best. Like most tree ferns it dislikes hot, dry, direct sun, which scorches the delicate fronds, so a cool, sheltered position with dappled light and shelter from drying winds is ideal.

How big does this tree fern get?

It is a genuinely compact species, slowly forming a slender trunk and typically reaching around 1 to 1.5m over many years, with a frond spread of roughly 1 to 1.5m. Its small scale makes it far better suited to smaller gardens and courtyards than the larger Dicksonia.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, its modest size makes it an excellent container plant in a loam-based, free-draining ericaceous or neutral mix kept consistently moist. Growing it in a pot also lets you move it under cover or into a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory over winter.

How do I care for it through the seasons?

Keep the rootball and trunk reliably moist, misting the trunk in dry spells, and feed lightly through the growing season. Remove only fully spent fronds, and in winter protect the central growing crown from hard frost; an evergreen, it holds its foliage year-round in milder spots.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Cyathea tomentosissima
£53.99