Dicksonia fibrosa, the golden tree fern, whekī-ponga or kuripaka (in Māori) is a species of medium-sized tree fern native to New Zealand.
D. fibrosa has a thick, soft and fibrous rusty brown trunk. It holds on to its dead leaves producing a distinctive pale brown skirt, distinguishing it from the related Dicksonia squarrosa.[1] A slow-growing plant, similar to Dicksonia antarctica,[2] D. fibrosa can reach a height of 6m (20feet). It requires winter protection in any area that is subject to winter frosts. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3] [4]
D. fibrosa can be found in the South Island, Stewart and Chatham Islands; also in the North Island, but is uncommon north of the Waikato River and Coromandel Peninsula.[5]
Slabs cut from the thick stem of the whekī-ponga, alongside D. squarrosa, were used by Māori over 150 years ago in constructing the outside of houses, or lining underground storage spaces.[6]