New Zealand Ferns

New Zealand has about 170 - 190 species of fern. The smallest such as the aquatic have fronds only an inch long while the Punga tree grows to about 10m - 15m. The Punga was some times used by the Maori to build walls. Ferns tend to prefer moist, shady and sheltered areas so the forest is ideal. Smaller species usually have the stem underground so only the fronds can be seen. The silver fern is an emblem adopted by New Zealand's sports teams such as the All Blacks, Silver Fern netball team and our America's cup racing yachts. It also features in our logo except the image was actually of a spine.

Photographs: nhc