Information for Seniors

Silver Fern

• Is palm tree found throughout NZ
• Found in coastal forests of both Islands
• Trees grow to 15m
• They are easy to cultivate but slow growing
• The Maori eat the flower clusters and use the leaves for cooking
• The leaf fibres are used for weaving
• The seeds are used as a laxative

Bark & Foliage

• A thick green trunk with a bulb like ‘crown shaft’ up to 1m long
• The greenish trunk bears grey and green leaf scars
• The fronds sprouting out of the crown can be up to 3m long and overlap each other
• They are Florescent and shiny

Cones – Seed pods

• Nikau sprouts large clusters of mauve coloured flowers
• The flowers are found on the lowest branch, they are sticky and sweet with nectar
• The nectar attracts insects especially bees
• Bee and birds are the main source of pollination
• Birds like Tui, Bellbird and Silver eye
• The flowers occur throughout the whole year
• The fruit take a year to ripen and are favourites to the Kereru
• The female flowers come on their own
• Male flowers come in pairs
• The fruit are elliptical
• They are red when they ripen from February to November