Cyathea Dealbata - in Culture

In Culture

• The silver fern has long been used on dairy products and was trademarked as early as 1885.
• It is a logo for many other organisations, such as (heavily stylised) the rail infrastructure owner ONTRACK and the Silver Fern is also the name of a class of rail carriage.
• The koru symbol found in Māori art is inspired by the shape of a young ponga frond.
• Silver fern leaves appear on the coat of arms of New Zealand.
• Many New Zealanders get a tattoo of a Silver Fern, as a statement of being from New Zealand.
• Some alternative flags for New Zealand, such as the silver fern flag, use the silver fern.
• The silver fern is also used extensively within politics and printed material, such as the logo of The New Zealand Progressive Party.

In sum, the fern has become one of the most widely recognised symbols of New Zealand, next to the Kiwi, though it is not an official symbol.