para

Ptisana salicina | king fern, para, tawhiti para, horseshoe fern

 

One of Aotearoa’s most majestic ferns, forming bold clumps of dark green fronds that can grow up to 5 m long, arching out from a stout base. It naturally occurs in moist, shaded lowland forests but is now rare in the wild due to browsing by cattle, goats, pigs, and deer and over collection by humans. para is often found growing among kareao (Ripogonum scandens) and parataniwha (Elatostema rugosum). In cultivation it thrives in sheltered, damp sites with frost protection when young, making a dramatic evergreen feature for gardens and shaded corners where few other plants will grow.