On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 18:25:51 +0100, "Rupert"
wrote:

Where is the root system on a tree fern.

I ask because the tree ferns I have seen for sale all appear to be saw
across at the base and appear to be just a stump stuck in a small pot.
I have been told by one garden centre that the root system is near to the
crown so that the trunk is irrelevant

Any comments please

I believe that is the case. My understanding is that the roots are
actually just below the top of the trunk, and when the fronds start to
sprout and unfurl, the roots grow down over and in the surface of the
trunk until they reach soil level. The trunk itself is the dense
fibrous accumulation of many years of previous growth, but is actually
dead, a bit like compacted peat.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net