Angiopteris evecta or the Giant Fern is a large evergreen fern that has huge bipinnate fronds growing from a large rhizomatous root that can be 1.5m tall by 1m wide.
The fronds are the largest known amongst ferns, growing to between 5-7m in length, making a spectacular display and lovely dappled shade.
This is one of the best examples of primitive plant forms still living today with some fossilised fronds being found in rocks around 300 million years old.
It requires very rich well drained soils and grows best in tropical or subtropical rainforests, along roadsides, in ravines and steep volcanic slopes.
It suits tropical rainforest gardens.
The population of this giant fern is declining in Australia but in areas where it has been introduced, Hawaii and Jamaica, it has become an invasive weed.