Ponga (silver fern) fronds — or koru. Image: Su Leslie 2019
Ferns grow abundantly in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the silver fern (ponga) has become one of our most recognisable national symbols, with both leaf and frond used widely in art and branding.
The koru (literally loop in Maori), or unfurled frond, is highly symbolic to Maori. It is frequently depicted across all Maori visual arts (something already mentioned by Ann-Christine in her ‘Curve’ post), and symbolises growth and the continuation of life as well as strength, endurance and power.
Posted to Lens-Artists Photo Challenge | curve
Zimmerbitch 
Can you eat them Su? The ferns are frequently eaten here where they are at that stage.
Leslie
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I believe so, though I haven’t tried them.
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They eat them here…but I haven’t so far….
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That is so simple and so perfect Su!
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Thanks Tina. Nature certainly sets the benchmark for beauty.
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Exquisite curves. This is so fascinating.
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Thank you 🙂
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This is so beautiful, Su. It is a heart-warming image to take with me as I travel across the Ditch today for a family reunion to acknowledge the first anniversary of my Dad’s death. Unfortunately, I won’t be in Koru class/lounge. 😉
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A sad time. I hope that being with whanau and sharing memories helps you all. Kia Kaha.
And btw: the Koro Lounge isn’t a patch on what it used to be — though Christchurch is better than Auckland International.
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Good eye! Great capture, Su!
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Thanks so much Peter 😀
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You can eat some of our ferns, but not others. I have trouble telling them apart, so I don’t eat anything I’m not sure is edible. People get poisoned that way.
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That’s my policy too. I learned about a guy who teaches wild food identification in the NZ bush, so I may yet become a forager 😀
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Great photo!
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wow! So beautiful!
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Oh this is so beautiful. It inspires a piece of jewelry, maybe a broach, made with tiny seed beads and yarn!!!!
Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks so much.
I love your idea for a brooch. 😀
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Wouldn’t it be beautiful if you could copy the natural beauty you captured?
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I love how art takes inspiration from the natural world and adds new ideas and meanings. 😀
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Beautiful – so beautiful. My Koru is a Swedish one, but this is the real thing.
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Thank you Ann-Christine. Ferns are such amazing plants. I just read the Swedish scientists discovered that your royal ferns are genetically almost unchanged from fossilised examples they found which are 180 million years old. Guess nature did a pretty good job on the original design 😀
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♥ Fantastic!
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This is such a simple and perfect example of curves–thanks to Mother Nature! Lovely idea, Sue.
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Nature does so many things better than us. If only we paid more attention and tried to live in nature rather than wanting to dominate (and destroy).
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I couldn’t agree more.
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Just gorgeous Su! I loved taking shots of these when we were in NZ. Nature is amazing.
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Glad you like them. Nature IS amazing.
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This is endlessly beautiful! No wonder it inspires so many artists! Your pic makes me believe I can touch it and feel the tiny hairs and the softness of this new leaf… 😊
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Thank you so much. I’ve been reading a bit about ferns lately; such an old life-form — and so fascinating.
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They are, aren’t they? One of the oldest plant forms and so successful too in terms of evolution. 😀
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Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #29: Cityscapes – P.A. Moed
A lovely composition Sue.
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Thank you 🙏
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