Golden tree fern facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Golden tree fern
Dicksonia fibrosa, Berne Botanical Garden, Switzerland
Scientific classification
Genus:	Dicksonia
Species:	fibrosa

Dicksonia fibrosa, the golden tree fern, whekī-ponga or kuripaka (in Māori) is a species of medium-sized tree fern native to New Zealand.

D. fibrosa has a thick, soft and fibrous rusty brown trunk. It holds on to its dead leaves producing a distinctive pale brown skirt, distinguishing it from the related Dicksonia squarrosa. A slow-growing plant, similar to Dicksonia antarctica, D. fibrosa can reach a height of 6 metres (20 ft). It requires winter protection in any area that is subject to winter frosts. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Distribution

D. fibrosa can be found in the South Island, Stewart and Chatham Islands; also in the North Island, but is uncommon north of the Waikato River and Coromandel Peninsula.