New Zealand’s very own native palm tree
WHEN you think of palm trees, New Zealand’s South Island may not be the first place you would expect to find any. Yet New Zealand’s isles are home to the world’s southernmost palm, a survivor from the Miocene period some 20 million years ago.
Rhopalostylis sapida, or nıkau ¯ as it is more commonly called, is one of around 2600 species belonging to the Arecaceace family. The name nıkau ¯ is from te reo Maori ¯ and has different translations — ‘‘only leaves’’ and ‘‘without nuts’’, referencing the difference to coconut palms of the Polynesian islands. Fronds were used by Maori ¯ to weave baskets, mats, hats, and thatching roofs and were even used for cooking, and wrapping food.
Very slowgrowing, they can reach heights of between 915m. They do best in shadier positions, bearing pink/lilac flowers in NovemberApril; insects, tuı, ¯¯ bellbirds and silvereyes are attracted to the nectar. Orange or red fruit appear from FebruaryNovember. The fruits are an important food source for birds, and are especially favoured by kereru ¯ and kaka, ¯¯ which subsequently disperse the seed.
Nıkau ¯ are endemic to New Zealand, occurring naturally on both North and South Islands, but only southwards towards Okarito on the west coast,
Banks Peninsula to the east and Chatham Islands, inhabiting coastal, lowland forests and river valleys. Nıkau ¯ palms from the Chatham Islands vary from mainland New Zealand, with broader leaflets and a faster growth rate. The Chatham variant has become a popular choice for home gardeners and landscapers because of its faster growth.
You can view mature specimens in the garden bed in front of the propagation unit, with younger plants found through the New Zealand Native Plant collection.
Garden Life is produced by Dunedin Botanic Garden
For further information contact Neale McLanachan