Plant
Woolly Tree Fern
Dicksonia fibrosaAlso known as Golden Tree Fern, Whekī-ponga, Whekī-kōnga, Kurīpākā
Woolly tree ferns build exceptionally thick, fibrous trunks composed of dense aerial roots that retain abundant moisture and anchor epiphytic plants. Dead fronds persist down the stem, forming a heavy golden skirt that shields the fern from cold and moisture loss. Common in cool, damp New Zealand forests, this slow-growing fern creates vital microhabitats for mosses, invertebrates, and seedling plants.
Cold-TolerantSlow-GrowingEvergreen
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Possums
- Deer
- Feral Goats
ThreatsForest Clearance, Browsing Invasive Mammals
HabitatsTemperate Rainforests, Damp Montane Forests, River Margins
Life span100–300 years
Classification
- FamilyDicksoniaceae
- SpeciesDicksonia fibrosa
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Look for the thick, spongy trunk covered in a persistent skirt of dead fronds.
- Ecology: Inspect the fibrous trunk for small epiphytic ferns, mosses, and liverworts.
- Habitat: Search cool, damp rainforest understories and protected forest gullies.
Forest Neighbor Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableForest Neighbor 
Close Relative (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Katja Schulz · cc-by
Close Relative JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 3.0 · CC BY-SA 3.0
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