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tree fern
noun
: any of various ferns (especially families Cyatheaceae and Dicksoniaceae) of arborescent habit with a woody stem
Examples of tree fern in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ferns can also climb up trees, as ivy does, or create their own trunks in the case of tree ferns.
—Jacob S. Suissa, The Conversation, 20 June 2024
Vendors will be selling orchids, carnivorous plants, bromeliads, cacti, cycads, palms, epiphyllum, tillandsia, terrarium plants, begonias and tree ferns.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2024
This tree fern is found in a soggy area of the Fortuna Forest Reserve, which is drenched by more than 20 feet of rain a year.
—Douglas Main, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Dramatic tree ferns, golden tree ferns, etc. might also be an option in a position in damp shade where the location is also mild enough.
—Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 17 Feb. 2023
Now the first full tree fern genome has been successfully sequenced—that of the flying spider-monkey tree fern—hinting at how these peculiar plants accrued such a massive set of genes.
—Fionna M. D. Samuels, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2022
There are ferns with leaves (called fronds) of all shapes and sizes, including the very large Australian tree fern (Sphaeropteris cooperi).
—Helen Purcell Montag, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2023
Every element is a way to share Hawaii’s history—from hapu‘u (tree fern), once a famine food for ancient people, to octopus, caught using a traditional lure involving a tiger cowrie shell.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2022
Thanks to those efforts, visitors can now roam around this paradise of bamboo tunnels, majestic tree ferns, and ancient rhododendrons.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2023
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Word History
First Known Use
1830, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near tree fern
Cite this Entry
“Tree fern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tree%20fern. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
tree fern
noun
: a tropical fern with a woody stalk and a top of large often feathery fronds
More from Merriam-Webster on tree fern
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tree fern
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