Rhopalostylis sapida, the nikau (Māori: nīkau) is a palm tree endemic to New Zealand, and the only palm native to mainland New Zealand.
Nīkau is a Māori word; in the closely related Eastern Polynesian languages of the tropical Pacific, it refers to the fronds or the midrib of the coconut palm.
The nikau palm is the only palm species endemic to mainland New Zealand. Its natural range is coastal and lowland forest on the North Island, and on the South Island as far south as Okarito mostly in humidity ...