Tree Ferns are probably the oldest plants in the world. They go back to the Palaeozoic era (600-245 million years ago) long before the Dinosaurs, which disappeared 65 million years ago. They saw their extinction and that of many other species of flora and fauna during their evolution.
Native to Tasmania and South Australia, the species Dicksonia Antartica grows particularly well,
even seeding itself, in the shady coastal gardens of South West Ireland.