Botanical name:

Pteris carsei

Common name(s):

Coastal brake, netted brake

About:

This particular fern is quite common on the offshore islands, but it is otherwise found only rarely in the coastal gullies stretching from North Cape to Bay of Plenty. The fronds of this fern can grow anywhere from 45cm to an impressive 1.8m long, and they are characterised by their leathery texture and dark green colouration, featuring pinnately divided leaflets that add to their unique appearance. It thrives in conditions that remain frost-free, requiring a light sandy soil and a shaded area to flourish effectively.

Natural habitat:

Coastal in forest especially on the sides of gullies, on banks and in valley heads. A very common offshore island fern

Growing environment:

Shade, Salt, Wind, Coastal, Free draining tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands (Raoul, the Meyers Islands and Macauley Island), Three Kings and North Island from North Cape to Bay of Plenty in the east and Awhitu Peninsula in the west with an outlying population near Mokau.

Height: 50cm

Flowering: N/A Spore producing.

Fruiting: N/A

Uses:

Riparian plantings, Forests & Coastal Plantings.

How to grow:

Results vary with some people finding Pteris carsei easy to grow and others well nigh impossible. Pteris carsei resents cold conditions and seems to do best in a semi-shaded, light, sandy, but moist soil.