Nikau

The Nikau Tree

  By:Faith

The Nikau Tree isn’t like all other trees like the palm trees, they grow in hot tropical countries except for the Nikau tree. Nikau tree is New Zealand native tree. The Nikau tree is the only tree in the whole world that grows in the cold far south.

In the early Maori years and the early Pakeha settlers would sometimes eat the big round shape or the bulb-shaped heart of the Nikau tree. Captain cook and the crew of the Endeavour ate the bulb-shaped of the Nikau tree as well. They had to destroy the tree to collect the food. Because of that now the meal is know as the ‘millionaire’s salad’.

When there was no bullets, bombs and rockets the Pakeha settlers, they use the little hard seeds from the Nikau tree to shoot birds down.  The Maori also used the Nikau fronds for the roofs. They also used the strip of the leaves for weaving kete or also weaving baskets .

When the bowl shape of the nikau tree has fallen off, this will be used for collecting water.

The Nikau tree  made of steel and copper, serve as a special icon to the Wellington Public Library.

You can also grow a Nikau tree yourself! The Nikau tree will take 20 years to grow a proper trunk.  But in the meantime they make a beautiful and pretty pot plant.