Tree Fern Young Fronds West Coast South Island New Zealand
Photo & Vacation Spot

The Tasman Sea creates the perfect backdrop for the young fronds on a tree fern which begin to unfold along the coastal shores of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand.

As the young, new fronds on a tree fern start to produce, they show off their intricate designs before they begin to uncurl into green multiple-pinnate leaves or fronds. At the center of the crown at the top of the trunk, which resembles that of a snail's shell called croziers, the fronds slowly start to unfold often taking several weeks before becoming a properly shaped frond.

As the tree ferns grow, they reproduce by means of spores which grow on the underside of the fronds. The trunk is held up by a fibrous mass of roots which increases in size as the tree fern grows.

Along the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand near Punakaki, the tree ferns decorate the hillsides that overlook the Tasman Sea as it breaks onto the sandy beach. A beautiful place to enjoy the serenity of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand and watch nature produce before your eyes.

New Zealand, South Island, West Coast, North of Punakaki