Leptolepia novae-zelandiae

Lace Fern  Dennstaedtiaceae

Leptolepia novae-zelandiae, the New Zealand lace fern, is a genuinely exquisite woodland fern, with broad, finely divided fronds that seem to have been cut from green lace. Endemic to New Zealand, it occurs throughout the North and South Islands, as well as Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands, from near sea level to about 900m. It inhabits deeply shaded, cool forest, particularly damp gullies, stream banks, seepages and sheltered river terraces.

The creeping rhizomes carry widely spaced fronds, with reddish-brown to chestnut stipes and rachises and delicate, 3–4-pinnate blades. Individual fronds can reach around 60cm, with exceptional plants producing fronds approaching 1m. 

In cultivation, give it deep shade, humus-rich soil and dependable moisture. It tolerates a range of soils but emphatically does not tolerate drought. Slow to establish, perhaps, but once settled it can become surprisingly enthusiastic—the lace may be delicate, but the fern has ambitions.

Altitude: 30–900m
Hardiness: H5, approximately −15 to −10°C
Height: 40–60cm
Spread: 60–100cm