edenhana

Nīkau (nikau palm)

New Zealand's only native palm and a genuinely striking specimen tree, but slow-growing and frost-tender when young - it isn't a reliable outdoor choice in colder inland or southern gardens, and its natural southern limit is a handful of sheltered South Island pockets, not general cultivation. Given decades, it can reach 10-15m. Red fruit is a favourite of kererū and kākā, though flowering doesn't start until the tree is around 30 years old.

Sun
partial sun
Water
moderate
Spacing
300cm
Difficulty
intermediate
Grows in
Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman
Mature height
10m
Flowering season
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Attracts wildlife
Kererū, Kākā
Evergreen
Yes

When to plant by region

In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: March-April and September-November. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: September-November.

Growing stages

  1. Planting & establishmentFirst few months

    • Water consistently while young, this species needs moderate, reliable moisture rather than drying out
    • Choose a sheltered, partial-sun spot; young plants are frost-tender and unreliable outdoors in colder inland or southern gardens
    • Mulch to protect roots and retain moisture while establishing

  2. Early growthFirst few years

    • Growth is genuinely slow, don't expect a trunk to form quickly
    • Keep protecting young plants from frost until they gain some size

  3. Maturity

    • Given decades this palm can reach 10-15m, so allow it the space and time it needs as a specimen tree
    • Flowering, and the red fruit that follows, doesn't begin until the tree is around 30 years old, so patience is part of growing this species
    • Kererū and kākā feed on the fruit once mature trees begin flowering

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