Our Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi) towers above all other plants in the tropical greenhouse. With its magnificent crown, the fern is an important component of the Australian rainforest landscape.

We also have a bird’s-nest fern (Asplenium nidus). These smaller ferns are typically epiphytic: they grow on the trunks of other plants.  Bird’s-nest fern has been used as a folk medicine to treat asthma and sores in Hawaii and is eaten as a vegetable in Taiwan.