# silver fern

*Cyathea dealbata*

The reflective silver underside of the fronds was used by Māori hunters and travelers to lay face-up on paths, catching moonlight to guide their way back home through the dark forest.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Polypodiopsida › Cyatheales › Cyatheaceae › Cyathea
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Sub-canopy of temperate rainforests, scrublands, and forest margins.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, and soil nutrients)
- **Range:** New Zealand
- **Size:** Trunk up to 10 meters (33 feet) tall; fronds 2 to 4 meters in length.
- **Lifespan:** 80 to 100+ years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat clearance, forest degradation, and competition from invasive weed species.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless. You can safely touch the fronds, though the underside has a powdery silver coating that can rub off. Enjoy its beauty from a respectful distance to avoid damaging the delicate fronds, and do not harvest wild plants.

## About

Cyathea dealbata , also known as the silver tree-fern or silver fern , or as ponga /ˈpɒŋə/ or punga /ˈpʌŋə/ (from Māori kaponga or ponga ), is a species of medium-sized tree fern, endemic to New Zealand. It is a symbol commonly associated with the country both overseas and by New Zealanders themselves.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/787de3b3-f535-48c5-847c-0bd6acc4b83c
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/131669
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyathea dealbata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2032368/medium.JPG (Ian Armitage, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.