Mears Bush
Plants at Mears Bush
Ferns
Five Finger
Lastreopsis glabella/Shield fern Tuakura
Scientific name: Pteridopsida
Common name: Fern
Maori name: Rarauhe
There are many different types of ferns in New Zealand. Some like a little bit of sun others like full shade. The size ferns grow into will depend on the type and growing conditions.
Interesting facts about ferns.
-
Fossils show that ferns were around millions of years before the dinosaurs.
-
Fern spores can be so tiny you can only see them with a magnify glass.
Five Finger leaves
Scientific name- Pseudopanax arboreus
Common name-Five finger
Maori name-Punahou
Native to New Zealand?
Five finger is native to New Zealand.
​
3 facts summarizing about the five finger
-
It grows into a small stout tree up to around 5 meters.
-
Its particular form is glossy.
-
The tree can have five-seven leafs on it.
-
The five fingered leaf can have a quick and luxuriant growth.
Ferns in the understory
​
Bracken fern: Bracken fern roots spread underground a long way. The fern leaf is dark green and brownish green. They get leafless when old and they’re easy to find in both lowland and mountain areas. It is found all across the country. Bracken fern was used by settlers as a substitute for hops in making beer.
​
Kiwakiwa fern: This fern is also known as the water fern as it likes moist damp conditions. The leaves on the fronds can look like little dots.
​
Five Fingers are hardy plants
General information about five finger
A small tree (8m when its mature) that has distinctive palmate leaves, with usually five leaflets radiating from a central stalk.
It prefers tertille and hummus-rich soil on moist sites. Will tolerate drier sites. They will require fertilizer if the popsoil is poor.