Silvered Fern

Bracken is a common fern found in open sites throughout New Zealand. Animals grazing on young bracken fronds are susceptible to poisoning. The creeping underground stem was an important food for Māori, who harvested it in late winter. The young shoots were also eaten. It is now known that bracken contains chemicals that cause cancer, and should not be eaten at all. 
Te Ara - The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand.


Silver Fern, on the other hand, is an iconic symbol of New Zealand, and is the name of New Zealand's famous women's netball team, as well as appearing on many manufactured items. Cyathea dealbata, the Silver tree fern, also known as punga, is a species of medium-sized tree fern, endemic to N.Z.


This bracken fern was 'silvered' by the frost this morning and looked very beautiful in the early morning light. The nearby wetlands lake was well frozen over and would have been safe for ice-skating! It was a very lovely winter's day today.