Treeferns are on Appendix II of CITES. Threatened or not, they are protected.
OK so it seems to grow like crazy in Hawaii.
I do not believe that Costa Rica's actions are the cause for the shortage.
Because of the fact that they are protected it takes CITES export and import
permits to get it out and this is the problem.
A wholesale import/export company in Holland stopped importing it, rumour
has it that they ran into trouble with missing paperwork.
Nobody is so stupid to grow treeferns and then after some(?) years chop them
up for a price next to nothing. It is much easier to go out and cut a 'wild'
treefern but most countries do not supply CITES for 'wild' specimens, so you
can't export it legally.
I know in Florida they grow(?) a coarse type of treefern which can be used
as potting medium. Don't ask me for the name, I don't have a clue.
The genus mostly used in orchid culture is Dicksonia. The growth rate on our
Dicksonia is about 30cm in 12 years. It probably grows a bit faster in
nature but it's not spectacular. Cyathea's grow much quicker but I believe
it's not used as potting ingredient.
Philip Thomas wrote :
>I don't know about their specific status in other countries,
>but the use of tree ferns for a growing medium is heart-wrenching to me.
here, here !
Aaron, I think it's time you look for another potting medium. How about bark ?
Kenneth Bruyninckx
Akerne Orchids
Laarsebeekdreef 4
B-2900 Schoten
Belgium
tel : Int'l + 32-3-651.40.36
fax : Int'l + 32-3-653.06.76
e-mail : akerne@innet.be