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Rhopalostylis sapida
Also called Feather Duster Palm, Nikau, Nīkau Palm
Nikau is a small palm endemic to New Zealand, the only palm native to its mainland, grown as an ornamental and potted plant. It grows slowly and does best in partial shade with protection from harsh sun.
Rhopalostylis sapida, commonly known as nīkau, is a palm tree endemic to New Zealand, and the only palm native to mainland New Zealand.
Nīkau make an excellent potted plant, and are quite hardy. They tend to be slow-growing. They grow readily from seed if the fruit is soaked in water for a few days and then gently scrubbed to remove the flesh. The seed will then germinate readily if placed in sealed plastic bags in partial shade, after which they can be planted in deep pots. The pots should be tall and narrow to provide room for the taproot and to lessen the likelihood of root damage when transplanting.
Transplanting juveniles is generally successful if the main root is left intact. Nīkau do not have a true tap root. Once the main root has been established to a fairly shallow depth of about 400 mm (16 in), roots take on form consistent with other palms. Successful transplanting is possible, but nīkau are very fickle if any trunk is present. It is best done in summer, but a substantial root ball should be preserved, and shade should be provided at the new location – at the very least by tying the outer fronds closer to the centre.
While tropical plants were more commonly found in New Zealand in past epochs, Rhopalostylis sapida is the sole member of Arecaceae to survive the ice ages in mainland New Zealand.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rhopalostylis sapida by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
