Woburn Remnant Nikau palms 1: Ludlam Crescent. Spread across at least 10 private residences in Ludlam Crescent, Lower Hutt, lies this dispersal of at least 40 nikau palms, remnants of the original Hutt Valley floor vegetation. It is not clear how many are from the original bush as opposed to being subsequent plantings or self-sown seedlings, however, as the photos show many of the nikau palms have the size expected from specimens over 150 years old. This fits with the known history: from the 1840s the land was part of Alfred Ludlam’s farm and garden [1], and whereas he planted many exotics he also had a strong liking for nikau palms, preserving many of the extant specimens in his garden. With his death the gardens became MacNab’s Gardens, and then Bellevue Gardens, then to be subdivided at a later date [2]. The historic photos show the nikaus at Bellevue in 1902 and 1903, their size suggesting an age of at least 40 years at this time, suggesting a current age of about 160 years. Being on private property measurements could not be taken - a second entry for palms at Te Omanga Hospice will include a measurement - but the photos clearly show the size of the palms, and the fact that most are in very good health. Not all of the palms can be seen from the road, but many of the palms are viewable by walking from 50 to 89 Ludlam Crescent. Perhaps given the number of possible remnant palms they do not appear on the Hutt City Register of Notable Trees, however, the Hutt City Council includes the nikaus within its district plan protection system, meaning that no palm can be removed without council approval.
[1] For details see WTR/0360
[2] K. Raine, p. 107, ‘1860s-1900: Victorian Gardens’, in A History of the Garden in New Zealand, ed. M. Bradbury (Auckland: Viking, 1995), 87-110; W. Johnston & D Strawbridge (eds.) 2002, Woburn Te Umumamuku, Hutt City Libraries/Hutt City Council; G. Park, Nga Uruora: Ecology in a New Zealand Landscape, 1995, Wellington: Victoria University Press, p. 81.