Botanical name:

Hypolepis dicksonioides

Common name(s):

Giant hypolepis, ground fern

About:

This is the largest of the species found in New Zealand, growing to an impressive height of more than 1.5 m. It is typically found on the remote Kermadec Islands and in several localised areas of the North Island as well as the upper region of the South Island. The pale green fronds are quite similar to those of H. ambigua, yet they are noticeably larger and even more intricately divided. This plant is relatively easy to cultivate in a range of shade levels, although it does exhibit slight tenderness to frost conditions.

Natural habitat:

A weedy species of coastal, lowland and geothermal habitats. Naturally short-lived, plants may appear as and when suitable habitat is generated following disturbance. As such this species has also appeared in urban situations and can from time to time be found growing in cities on rock walls, in bark gardens, or even protruding from cracks in asphalt pavements. It has also been recorded as a weed in garden centres.

Growing environment:

Frost, Shade, Wetland, Wind & Coastal tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands (Raoul, Macauley Islands), Three Kings, North, South and Rekohu (Chatham Island). Known in the North Island from Te Paki south to Wellington but mainly coastal and absent from large parts of the island. Locally common around Geothermal areas of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. In the South Island known only from the coast north-west Nelson and northern Westland.

Height: 1.5m

Flowering: 

N/A Spore producing.

Fruiting: N/A

Uses:

Riparian plantings, Forests & Pioneer Plantings

How to grow:

Easily grown from fresh spores. Inclined to become invasive and weedy in garden situations. Despite this the extremely robust, strongly deltoid, bright green fronds are rather attractive. It is naturally rather short-lived but rapidly establishes by spores in ideal situations. It is frost tender although established plants merely die back during winter.