Broader leaved and with a more open crown than the shaving brush looking Chathams and mainland varieties. Its easily regogniced by its erect circular trunk which is ringed with evenly spaced scars from previous leaves. We view the two trees from our kitchen window and marvel every day at the lives that the trees host. •There is a brown or red-brown color to the proximal leaf stem on the Norfolk Island Palm (the Nikau is more gray). The New Zealand nikau palm is very similar to Rhopalostylis baueri of the Kermadecs and Norfolk Island, which can be distinguished by its more rounded or oval fruits, and by its leaflets which are broader than those found in most populations of R. sapida. About Nikau. The nikau does not have a true tap root. The often upright standing fronds can grow up to 3 metre with a darn green coloration in older leaves. Here are some illustrations of different types of palm trees from various habitats around the world, there are thirty individual palm tree pictures in all, and a couple of palm misnomers. Evening everyone. Developing fruit on Nikau Palm on North Island of New Zealand, January 1991. First class selection of the right varieties will be the key to this plant's continuing popularity. A Nikau which is rapidly becoming more popular in NZ landscaping. The tightly packed flowers are unisexual and coloured lilac to pink. To obtain the best effects it should be planted in a rich fertile soil, in a warm reasonably sheltered position, feet in the shade head in the sun. That said, well-watered plants can look good in the sun and make a nice alternative to the Pygmy Date Palm. The central bud is edible and was eaten by both early Maori and Europeans. Submitted by janis b on Fri, 05/29/2020 - 6:15pm. Many gardeners add palm trees to their landscaping to make their outdoor areas look like a tropical oasis. Plants from the South Island and the offshore islands of the North Island have larger, more-gracefully-arching fronds and are popular in cultivation. It is found in the North Island and the northern South Island from the Marlborough Sounds and Nelson south to near Okarito in the west and Banks Peninsula (near Christchurch) in the east. The fronds are up to 3 m long, and the closely set, sometimes overlapping leaflets are up to 1 m long. Nikau palms are becoming increasingly popular as landscaping specimens. Here are some suggestions of different types of palm trees for New Zealand gardens. [2], Nikau images and artworks, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rhopalostylis_sapida&oldid=994093337, IUCN Red List conservation dependent species, Use New Zealand English from February 2020, All Wikipedia articles written in New Zealand English, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 02:10. It is best done in summer, but a substantial root ball should be preserved, and shade should be provided at the new location - at the very least by tying the outer fronds closer to the centre. In New Zealand the name 'Kermadec nikau' is used to refer to the Kermadec Islands population. Words and photos: Barb Davies The nïkau palms on our farm give our family great pleasure. Pair of older trees in Lotus Land, Santa Barbara, California. The nikau thrives on cool temperatures, but is not subject to freezing weather in its natural habitat. Ground watering is recommended because crown watering can induce terminal rot at the very slow-growing new spike. Seeds for sale starting at € 5.70. Found mostly in coastal lowland and hilly forests throughout the north island except the central plateau. We were fortunate to have an extended summer while in lockdown. The nikau palm shows considerable variation in the wild. They don’t like frost. One of the world’s most southern palms, also known as Chatham Island Nikau. The seed will then germinate readily if placed in sealed plastic bags in partial shade, after which they can be planted in deep pots. Nikau Palm.jpg 993 × 660; 212 KB Nikau Palme 01.jpg 477 × 1,024; 334 KB Nikau palms along stream at Scotts Beach in Kahurangi National Park.jpg 3,264 × 4,896; 7.05 MB R. sapida - R. sapida is a slow-growing, tender palm with a single, unbranched, stout trunk bearing a tuft of pinnate, dark green leaves divided into linear segments. This palm as its common name suggests is found only on Raoul Island in the Kermadec group. Palm Varieties Bangalow palm or seaforthia (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) Fast growing and decorative feather palm. I can see 4 different varieties of plants in just that small area. The nikau produces flowers between November and April, and fruits ripen from February to November, taking almost a year to fully ripen. Dark green foliage, fast-growing after 1st year, fertilise twice a year for best results. The nikau makes an excellent potted plant, and is quite hardy. The common names on Norfolk Island are 'Norfolk Island palm' or 'niau'. It’s a palm that prefers mild, damp (even wet) locations with protection from the sun. More research is needed into its precise relationship with the mainland form. Visit us today for the widest range of Plants products. PalmsOnline brings the largest range of palms, cycads and subtropicals available online to the NZ gardening public. It is a far more tropical looking palm compared to the NZ Nikau having larger, wider fronds and slightly lime green in colour and much larger more open flower heads. The plant in the sun has a fully formed trunk over a metre high and has been flowering for a number of years, whereas the palm in the shade has not yet produced a trunk nor has it flowered. The world’s most Southerly grown palm is our own Chatham Nikau. The bases of the inner leaves and the young flower clusters were eaten raw or cooked. 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