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Our holiday on the West Coast of the South Island (Punakaiki) was just what we needed – weather in Christchurch was cold and wet, but on the West Coast sunny and warm.  

I re-discovered a tree I have missed since leaving Auckland 14 years ago: Rhopalostylis sapida is its name. Gardeners know it as the Nikau Palm. 

There are two species in the New Zealand Territories: R sapida is the common Nikau in North Island and South Island, occurring mostly on the coast from Okarito in the West and Banks Peninsula in the East. 

It also occurs on Chatham Island and Pitt Island and the variety that grow there is a lot more elegant, especially in the younger form: the fronds (leaves) have a more drooping attitude, a bit like the traditional palms in the tropics. I reckon we should have a taxonomic discussion about its identity (a different species?).  

The Nikau on the offshore Islands of the Hauraki Gulf show a similar elegance (Little Barrier, Great Barrier etc etc). I must say: I prefer those drooping forms over the tightly growing leaves pointing towards the sky.   

Flowering takes place in Spring and Summer and the colours are wonderful.  

The seeds that are formed a year later are one of the Kereru’s favourite snacks. These birds’ ecosystem service is to disperse the seeds through the forests – a lovely job! 

So… if you find Nikau seeds and want to have a go at germinating them: chuck them in water for a few days and take out the seeds; the flesh is easy to remove. Plant the seeds in good seed-raising mix (or even in a plastic bag!) until they germinate. Plant them in tall pots – keep them in shade.   

When they start to grow (My goodness… they are slow!) ensure that you give the palm’s roots some space. When transplanting be careful not to damage the roots, especially the tap root!  

The second Native species in New Zealand occurs in Raoul Island (Kermadec Islands group). Its scientific name is Rhopalostylis baueri. This is a gorgeous form with large leaves and beautiful drooping habits. They are great to grow in large containers. I found some of these baueri (often called Rhopalostylis baueri var cheesemanii) as Christmas present for my local gardener at home.  

It’s one of those finds that fills a space in my heart too and it gives us a few years of “advantage” to get that beauty growing. Plant in shade, out of frost sites and be very careful with the roots.  

In Punakaiki I learned exactly how much that time advantage is:  

• Nikau take about 40 years to start forming a trunk  
• They can grow to 15 meters tall  
• Have “rings” around their trunk where old leaves were attached, so you can more-or-less guess how old the tree is: two or three rings per year Do the Maths!  
• Too slow? Sorry to hear that. 

LEAVE YOUR LEGACY! IT’S WORTH IT 

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