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Understanding Our Container Sizes
At Nature Hills, our plants are sold in industry-standard nursery containers. You will notice we use the word "container" rather than "gallon." Container numbers follow a nursery trade size standard, not liquid volume. The number tells you the plant's size category and general maturity level. A larger container means a more established plant with a stronger root system.
Container Sizes
Quart
Plant age: 6 months to 1 year Best for:Ground covers, perennials, ornamental grasses What to expect: Our smallest and most affordable size. Well-suited for planting in multiples across a large area. Allow 1 to 2 seasons for full establishment.
#1 Container
Plant age: 1 to 2 years Best for:Shrubs, perennials, smaller trees What to expect: About the size of a large coffee can. A well-developed root system in a manageable size. Good value choice when you have time to let the plant grow into the space over a season or two.
#2 Container
Plant age: 2 to 3 years Best for:Shrubs and trees where you want faster establishment What to expect: A noticeable step up from a #1 in both plant size and root development. Good choice when you want visible presence without going to a larger size.
#3 Container
Plant age: 3 to 4 years Best for: Most plants, most situations — flowering trees, shade trees, evergreen shrubs What to expect: Our most popular size. Strong, developed root system. Plants in a #3 container make an immediate visual impact from day one. If you want a head start rather than waiting seasons for a plant to fill in, this is typically the right choice.
#5 Container and Larger
Plant age: 4 to 5+ years Best for: Specimen plants, privacy screens, maximum instant impact What to expect: Large, mature plants ready to make an immediate statement in your landscape. We also carry #7 and larger sizes for select varieties.
Why "Container" and Not "Gallon"?
Nursery container sizes follow an industry trade standard established for the nursery and horticulture industry. The number is a size designation, not a measurement of liquid volume. Actual soil volume varies by plant type, root mass, and growing medium. Using "container" is the accurate industry term. When you see #1, #2, or #3, think of it as the plant's size tier, not a gallon measurement.
Root Pouch Containers
Some Nature Hills plants arrive in a Root Pouch, a breathable fabric container made from 100% recycled materials. Root Pouches encourage denser root development through air pruning, which discourages root circling and promotes a stronger, more fibrous root ball at the time of planting.
There are two types. Knowing which one you have changes how you plant:
Degradable (brown or tan fabric): Plant the entire pouch directly in the ground. The fabric breaks down naturally in the soil over time.
Non-degradable (black or gray fabric): Remove the pouch before planting. Cut the bottom open with scissors, then peel the sides away. The fibrous root ball will hold its shape.
Not sure which type you have? Check the tag on your plant or contact us and we will confirm.
Australian Tree Fern is a true tree fern, a single fibrous trunk ringed with oval leaf scars and topped with a crown of long, lacy, feathery fronds. It is fast growing and low maintenance for a plant this dramatic, eventually reaching 15 to 25 feet where it has the room, though it arrives to you as a young, manageable specimen in a nursery pot.
Give it partial to full shade and it fills a corner, sunroom, or shaded patio with a scale and texture no small fern can match. See our full fern collection for more textured growers, and read our guide on growing ferns for general care tips.
Choose your size at checkout, a 6 or 8 inch nursery pot, shipped potted and ready to grow.
Planting & Care
Light
Partial to full shade, with tolerance for dappled sunlight in a sheltered spot. This is not a full sun plant, and harsh direct sun will scorch the fronds.
Water
Keep the soil consistently moist and well drained. In hot, dry weather it also appreciates having its trunk watered along with the soil, since it absorbs moisture through the fibrous trunk as well as the roots.
Humidity and Temperature
Needs a warm, humid environment, comfortably between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Protect it from frost, and bring container grown plants in before winter outside its hardy zones.
Soil and Feeding
Plant in moist, well drained, humus rich loam with an acidic to neutral pH. Feed lightly during the growing season with a diluted, balanced fertilizer.
Growth Habit
This fern grows a single upright trunk and propagates by spores, not by division. It does not need or benefit from being split into clumps the way many smaller, rhizomatous ferns do.
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping Rates
Ships in 7-10 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected
Under $50
$9.99
$50 - $99.99
$14.99
$100 - $149.99
$16.99
$150 - $198.99
$24.99
$199+
FREE
✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee
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Type to search specs, description, care, FAQ, and shipping.
What USDA zones can an Australian Tree Fern survive outdoors in?
Roughly zones 8 through 11 in a sheltered, partly shaded spot. Outside that range it is grown in a large container, greenhouse, or sunroom.
How tall does an Australian Tree Fern get?
Typically 15 to 25 feet in cultivation, and up to about 50 feet in the wild, though it grows slowly toward that size and arrives to you as a young, compact specimen.
What kind of light does it need?
Partial to full shade, with tolerance for dappled sunlight in a sheltered spot. It is not a full sun plant.
Does this plant grow from a single trunk or from clumping divisions?
A single upright, fibrous trunk marked with oval leaf scars where old fronds have dropped. It propagates by spores, not by division.
How is Australian Tree Fern watered differently from a typical houseplant fern?
In addition to keeping the soil consistently moist, it benefits from having its fibrous trunk watered directly during hot, dry weather, since it absorbs moisture through the trunk as well as the roots.
Extend your plant protection to a full year with Growing & Glowing Guarantee Plus.
Every plant already includes our free 45-day guarantee. Adding Plus at checkout gives you extended coverage for properly planted and cared-for plants.
What you get:
Full store credit for the cost of your plant
Free shipping on your replacement order
Coverage for a full year from delivery
To file a claim: Send photos to support@naturehills.com or use our live chat.
Not covered: Improper planting, weather extremes, pest or wildlife damage, or plants outside their recommended zone. Annuals, bulbs, grass plugs, and hard goods are not eligible.
