Silver Fern

The silver fern is often seen as an emblem for New Zealand and used frequently by sports teams. Our Netball team is known as the Silver Ferns.

The fern is a tree fern, and can grow to a height of 3 or 4 metres or more. You can see in the picture the silver underside of the fern frond.

When I was growing up our farm backed onto a bush (NZ term for forest) reserve of many thousands of acres. There were always silver tree ferns growing right throughout the undergrowth in various stages of maturity.

I was always taught by my Father that when walking in the bush if I decided to go off the tracks,  I must leave a trail of overturned fern fronds to mark my path for return. The silver side shows up extremely well in the shade of the canopy cover of large trees.  Something like Hansel and Gretel leaving breadcrumbs in the fairy story!