Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

The plant that didn't stop growing

Laurel Stowell
Whanganui Chronicle·
28 Feb, 2013 06:22 PMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

When Doug Newick acquired a tiny ponytail palm 30 years ago he didn't know it would grow into a giant if he kept it outdoors and fertilised it.

Since then the plant has burst its way out of two pots and is in the process of bursting a third. It took two strong men to lift it to its position inside a large tyre in Mr Newick's Springvale, Wanganui, garden.

"I did feed it blood and bone, but I think that was a mistake," he said.

If he had read the plant label, he would have known his cute little potplant would be limited to about 1m tall if he kept it indoors. According to its label its leaves can eventually grow to 2m long. internet sources say it can grow to 10m tall with a 4m base outdoors.

Mr Newick's wife Leonie now wants to get rid of the plant, but it is about to burst into bloom for the first time.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ponytail palms are not true palms, according to internet sources. They are native to arid regions of eastern Mexico and store water in their bases.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Turnout lagging in Whanganui's general ward and district’s new Māori ward

22 Sep 09:08 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

How the 1995 Ruapehu eruptions reshaped NZ's disaster response

22 Sep 07:40 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

‘This walk is for him’: Charity hīkoi in honour of late brother

22 Sep 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Turnout lagging in Whanganui's general ward and district’s new Māori ward
Whanganui Chronicle

Turnout lagging in Whanganui's general ward and district’s new Māori ward

Whanganui District Council candidates are concerned about low voting paper returns.

22 Sep 09:08 PM
How the 1995 Ruapehu eruptions reshaped NZ's disaster response
Whanganui Chronicle

How the 1995 Ruapehu eruptions reshaped NZ's disaster response

22 Sep 07:40 PM
‘This walk is for him’: Charity hīkoi in honour of late brother
Whanganui Chronicle

‘This walk is for him’: Charity hīkoi in honour of late brother

22 Sep 05:00 PM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP