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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tree fern was in 1830

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

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