Family: Dicksoniaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Able to grow, and potentially invade, regions with cool, subtropical climates
  
• Naturalizing in Volcano, Hawaii (Hawaiian Islands)
  
• Reported to be aggressive in gardens, needing room to spread
  
• A native pasture weed in New Zealand
  
• Other Dicksonia species are invasive
  
• Potentially allelopathic
  
• Reported to be highly flammable; may increase fire risk in drier areas
  
• Shade tolerant (can establish under intact forest)
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Forms dense stands and excludes other vegetation in native range
  
• Reproduces by spores and apogamous gametophyes (requiring no fertilization)
  
• Spreads vegetatively by underground runners
  
• Spores dispersed by wind, water, and intentional cultivation
  
• Prolific spore production
  
• May form a persistent spore bank
  
• Tolerates and will resprout after cutting or browsing damage

Low Risk Traits:

• May primarily threaten cooler, higher elevations of the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical island ecosystems
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Palatable to ungulates and other browsing animals
  
• Non-toxic