"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Franz Heymann
writes

"Sacha" wrote in message
.. .
in article , Franz Heymann at
wrote on 15/10/03 3:30 pm:

I don't know if you've ever had one of these but what you get is a
bare,
rootless log. Apparently, over time, they will put down roots into the
earth but it takes a while and they put out fronds, year after year, in
the
meantime.

I have indeed, but I accepted that what I bought was in fact effectively
a
cutting which took a few seasons to root.
That does not mean that "its roots are in the trunk", and it was not
planted
in the soil just for support. It was planted into a medium in which to
root.

I've read that the roots are mainly for support, and the tree fern gets
most of its nutrient and water through the 'trunk' - this would make
sense for a plant that lives in high humidity areas.

One learns something new every day.

Franz