This tree fern guide will help you to quickly and easily identify New Zealand’s tree ferns. Glancing at this guide will help you identify mamaku, ponga, wheki and more tree ferns.
A US friend of mine that spent many months traveling in New Zealand remarked how much he loved the tree ferns of New Zealand. He talked about how they were all over the country and lent a kind of primeval feel to the forests of the country. The tree ferns can be found all over the country, including in native forest. Fortunately, you can quickly learn to identify the various species with this tree fern guide.
New Zealand’s Tree Ferns
There are 10 species of tree ferns in New Zealand. Really though, there are 8 that you will likely see as two of them only live on offshore islands.
Those 8 species of tree ferns can be found from the top of the North Island down to the bottom of the South Island. They grow in a variety of habitats and can be found from the coast up to the mountains.
Here are some simple tips for things to look for that will help you quickly and easily identify 6 of the 8 tree ferns that you’ll see.
Quick New Zealand Tree Fern Guide
Mamaku or Black Tree Fern (Cyathea medullaris)
Mammaku’s distinguishing characteristics are threefold. First, the stalks and trunk are a black colour. Secondly, there are hexagonal/oval shaped scars on the trunk. Those are where the old fronds broke off the trunk. Finally, the frond stalks can be as thick as your arm and really long.
Gully Tree Fern (Cyathea cunninghamii)
The most distinguishing characteristic of the gully tree fern is that it’s very thin and tall. Similarly to mamaku, it is also a black colour, but the hexagonal shaped scars on the trunk are missing.
Ponga Or Silver Fern (Cyathea dealbata)
This is the iconic silver fern of the country of New Zealand. The most distinguishing characteristic is the whitish or silver colour on the undersides of the fronds. Also, the trunk is not smooth, rather it’s covered in the bases of the broken off fronds.
Smith’s Tree Fern or Katote (Cyathea smithii)
The most distinguishing characteristic of this tree fern are the dead central stalks that hang around the trunk of the tree, forming a skirt. Just to be clear, this is only the central portion or stalk of the dead fronds and not the leaves. The leaves fall off, leaving only the slender, straight stalk hanging around the trunk.
This is in contrast to Wheki-ponga, which also has a skirt of dead fronds. In the case of wheki-ponga, the hanging dead fronds still have the leaves on them.
Wheki (Dicksonia squarrosa)
This is one of the two species in the Dicksonia family and is possibly the most abundant of the native tree ferns. Wheki has a few distinguishing characteristics to look for. First, the trunk and stalks are a dark brown/black colour. Secondly, similar to ponga, the trunk is not smooth, but is covered in the broken off bases of the old fronds. Finally, the frond stalks are covered in brownish/black hairs.
Wheki – Ponga (Dicksonia fibrosa)
This tree fern has a thick, sturdy trunk that is much wider than the other native tree ferns. There is also a thick skirt of the dead fronds (with leaves) hanging around the trunk.