Whanganui has built up a diverse collection of palms in public parks and gardens, and this excellent specimen of the uncommon Chilean wine palm continues that tradition. In the early 1920s Mr James McGregor, a prominent member of the Wanganui Beautifying Society, spent time in Australia ‘on the lookout for choice seeds and plants for the society’, sending these back to Mr Tucker, the district head gardener, for germination and growing-on [1]. Supplemented by purchases from nurseries around the country, this resulted in the great diversity of palms (and other trees) that are now prominent in Whanganui. As can be seen from the photos, recently there has also been mass planting of nikau palms, particularly in Pakaitore (Moutoa) gardens where this Chilean Wine Palm of unknown age stoutly stands.
Reference:
1. ‘Wanganui Beautifying Society: Annual Report’, The Wanganui Chronicle, Wednesday, March 9, 1921.