Tree Ferns ( $120 )

31. The west coast of the South Island of New Zealand experiences high amounts of rainfall (on average 3m per year). This has lead to an abundance of tree ferns which grow in the lush native forests. The trunk of a tree fern is not really a true trunk as it is in other trees. It is made up of a collection of rhizomes or roots all packed together into a rigid supporting structure. Water and nutrients are carried to the fronds from the soil through these.