Aristotelia serrata (Makomako, Wineberry)
Aristotelia serrata, commonly called Makomako or Wineberry, is a fast-growing, small deciduous tree. Attractive rose-coloured flowers in spring. Black berries in summer are highly sought after by native birds. Good shade tree in sheltered areas. Frost-tender when young, however hardy once mature.
Delicate, rose coloured flowers in early spring result in dark red berries in summer which are great for attracting birds. It has serrated, green leaves which may develop a purple hue, and typically grows to 5 m tall and 4 m wide. Wineberry is commonly used as a smaller specimen tree, trimmed into a hedge, or used for screening and shelter.
Best results with this tree are achieved when it is planted in full sun on a well-drained site. It will tolerate cool climates and moderate frost once established, as well as most soil conditions but only short periods of dry.
Habitat: Lowland to montane forests. Often forming dense thickets following disturbance.
Flowering: Spring [September - December]
Fruiting: Summer [January - March]
Tag: Rongoa
Brachyglottis monroi (Monros Groundsel)
Brachyglottis monroi, commonly called Monros Groundsel, is a neat compact low spreading shrub with leaves a green to brownish-green above and whitish below. The margins of the leaves are distinctly crinkled. Superb plant in any landscape. Clusters of bright yellow flowers in summer. Hardy will grow in sun or shade, and tolerant of dry conditions. Evergreen. Hardy.
Habitat: Found in subalpine scrub among the Kaikoura Ranges.
Flowering: Summer [December - March]
Fruiting: Autumn [March - April]
Carex testacea (Speckled Sedge, Orange Sedge)
Carex testacea, commonly known as Orange or Speckled Sedge, is a clump-forming perennial grass-like plant that belongs to the family Cyperaceae. It is native to New Zealand and is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in many parts of the world.
Carex testacea is known for its distinctive foliage, which undergoes color changes throughout the year. The leaves are typically narrow and linear, and they emerge in shades of green, gradually turning to a warm bronze, copper, or orange color as they mature. The foliage has a fine, hair-like texture, which gives the plant a unique and ornamental appearance.
The plant typically grows in dense tufts or clumps, with stems that are typically upright or slightly arching, reaching a height of 30 to 60 cm. The stems are usually smooth and glossy, and they may develop a reddish coloration towards the base.
Carex testacea is a relatively low-maintenance plant that is tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. It prefers well-draining soils and can tolerate partial to full sun, although it may exhibit more intense coloration in brighter light. It is drought-tolerant once established, making it suitable for water-wise gardens. Evergreen. Hardy.
Habitat: Coastal to montane. In sand dunes, coastal forest and scrub, dense forest or short tussock (Festuca novae-zelandiae) grassland.
Flowering: Spring [September - December]
Fruiting: Summer [December - May]
Carex virgata (Pukio, Swamp Sedge)
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Carex virgata, commonly called Swamp Sedge or Pukio, is a vigorous sedge suitable for swamps, drain margins, seepages and wet pastures. A successful colonising plant, used for wetland planting and revegetation. Suitable for conditions which may vary periodically from very wet to very dry. More dry tolerant and shorter than C. secta. Evergreen. Hardy.
It pairs well with Carex secta (also called Pukio) for bank stabilisation. As it handles being in a swampy area, it is ideal for lower bank planting in riparian revegetation projects. It is also useful in water treatment projects as it minimises nutrient runoff. This makes it ideal for planting streamside on farms.
Carex virgata is widespread in open, swampy conditions and also in damp sites within lowland forest. In parts of the country this sedge is often the dominant carice of lowland alluvial forest. Found in communities that include but are not limited to Apodasmia similis, Carex maorica, Carex secta, Phormium tenax, and Eleocharis acuta.
Habitat: Widespread from sea level to about 1000 m a.s.l. in open, swampy conditions and also in damp sites within lowland forest. In parts of the country this sedge is often the dominant carice of lowland alluvial forest.
Flowering: Spring [October - December]
Fruiting: Summer [December - May]
Tags: DrainField, Wetland
Carmichaelia australis (Makaka, Common Broom)
Carmichaelia australis, commonly called Common Broom or Makaka, is a small to large shrub with spreading erect and flattened to round photosynthetic stems. Meaning that instead of leaves the stems are flattened to catch the sunlight. It is a hardy fast growing upright broom. From spring through to summer, it has small 5-6 mm white flowers with purple veins and sometimes has purple centres. The seeds are yellow, orange or red often with black dots. The seeds are distributed when the seedpod bursts so the seed travels only short distances, compared to wind and bird-dispersed seed. Attractive to bees. Evergreen. Prefers full sun and tolerates dry, windy and cold sites. Hardy.
Habitat: Coastal to montane, on river terraces, stream banks, colluvium, rock outcrops, talus and fan toe slopes, among tussock grassland and grey scrub, on the edge and margins of dense bush, forest, and in swamps.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [October - February]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [November - May]
Tags: RarePlant
Clematis paniculata (Puawananga)
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Clematis paniculata, or Puawananga, is an attractive climber with masses of white flowers in spring. The plant does best when planted in a moist but well-drained soil with roots in a cool shady place and the foliage is going to be in the sun.
Clematis paniculata is a vigorous grower and can reach a height of up to 20 feet (6 meters) or more, depending on the growing conditions. It prefers a sunny to partially shaded location and in well-drained, fertile soil. It is a versatile plant that can be grown on trellises, arbors, fences, or allowed to scramble over shrubs and trees. It is relatively low-maintenance, requiring regular watering and pruning to promote healthy growth and abundant flowering.
Habitat: Coastal to montane in shrubland or tall forest (up to 1000 m a.s.l.).
Flowering: Winter - Summer [July - November]
Fruiting: Summer [November - January]
Tags: Rongoa
Coprosma acerosa (Tataraheke, Sand Coprosma)
Coprosma acerosa, or sand coprosma, is a groundcover that is found naturally near the coast throughout New Zealand. Great for windy, coastal areas which get dry winds. The small needle-like deep green leaves clothe the intertangling branches that form springy mounds with a spread of up to 1m. Useful grown in areas prone to erosion, on banks, or over walls. Can also be easily incorporated into mixed shrub planting as a ground cover. In addition to bank stabilisation and as a mixed groundcover, native gecko species love the berries. As a result, this is a good addition to a revegetation project looking to increase biodiversity in the area. When plants of both sexes are present, attractive smoky blue berries follow the tiny green flowers. This is an excellent plant for coastal areas and hot dry conditions.
Habitat: Coastal sand dunes.
Flowering: Spring [September - December]
Fruiting: Autumn [February - May]
Tags: ErosionControl, PoorSoils, Rongoa
Coprosma areolata (Thin Leaved Coprosma)
Coprosma areolata grows as a divaricating shrub or small tree to 3m, usually erect in habit. The pale green leaves are small and thin, hence the common name Thin Leaved Coprosma. It produces blue or black berries which the birds can eat. Grows in wet, lowland forest and can also grow in exposed places.
Habitat: Lowland to lower montane forest.
Flowering: Spring [October - December]
Fruiting: Summer [January - March]
Coprosma brunnea (Brown Stemmed Coprosma)
Coprosma brunnea is one of 45 species of Genus Coprosma that are found in New Zealand. A hardy wiry shrubby groundcover that is very tough and suitable for harsh conditions. Dense and bushy with attractive chocolate brown coloured foliage, grows tight and covers well. Ideal for trimming and mass planting on banks and swales, or sprawling down steep hill faces. Very small flowers develop from August to October among the branches and the female plant, in January, develop 5-6 mm long drupes which are a translucent sky-blue or are translucent white with blue flecks.
They also provide habitat for New Zealand’s declining lizard and gecko populations. As attractors of these small animals, they are a pioneer shrub in revegetation projects. Mingimingi provides a tough shelter, providing good food for native birds and lizards, as well as ground cover for these. Hardier the C. acerosa.
Coprosma species have small unisexual flowers that are borne on different plants (dioecious) and they have a fleshy fruit (drupe).
Habitat: Plains to subalpine. Coprosma brunnea grows in lowland to higher montane river beds up to 1500m in open grassland and rocky places on the South and Stewart Islands of New Zealand.
Flowering: Spring [August - December]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [January - June]
Tags: DrainField, ErosionControl
Coprosma crassifolia (Mingimingi)
Coprosma crassifolia, commonly called mingimingi, is a stiffly-branched upright shrub with small dark-green leaves and white to pale-yellow berries that attract skinks and birds. It's a tough shelter and revegetation shrub for drought-prone sites. The upright, columnar habit is good for narrow spaces.
In the forest, the shrub is sparsely branched but in the open, it forms densely branched thickets. The stiff, more or less round remote leaves and the stiff, red-brown branchlets distinguish C. crassifolia from all other Coprosma species. The flowers are unisexual. The berries flesh is transparent but look white due to the white seed within. They may also look pale yellow.
Habitat: Coastal rocky and sandy lowland to lower montane shrubland and forest, up to 600 m.
Flowering: Spring [September - October]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [November - June]
Coprosma propinqua (Mingimingi)
Coprosma propinqua, commonly known as Mingimingi, is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree that is native to New Zealand. It belongs to the family Rubiaceae and is known for its distinctive foliage and attractive appearance.
Coprosma propinqua exhibits a compact and bushy growth habit, typically reaching a height of 1 to 3 meters. The leaves are opposite, simple, and small, measuring about 1 to 3 centimeters in length. The leaves are elliptical or lanceolate in shape, with smooth margins, and are usually glossy and dark green in color. Some varieties may have variegated leaves with contrasting colors, such as yellow or cream markings.
The flowers of Coprosma propinqua are small and inconspicuous, typically greenish or yellowish in color. They are borne in clusters and are not particularly showy. The plant is dioecious, which means that male and female flowers are borne on separate plants.
The fruit of Coprosma propinqua is a fleshy drupe, typically spherical or ovoid in shape, and about 5 to 7 millimeters in diameter. The fruit initially appears green, but matures to a dark purple or black color when ripe. The fruit is often eaten by birds, which help to disperse the seeds.
Coprosma propinqua is commonly found in various habitats in New Zealand, including forests, shrublands, and coastal areas. It is known for its ability to tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, including poor soils and exposure to salt spray, making it a hardy and adaptable plant. It is also known to have medicinal properties and has been used traditionally by Maori for various purposes.
In cultivation, Coprosma propinqua is often used as an ornamental plant in gardens and landscapes due to its attractive foliage and low maintenance requirements. It can be grown as a standalone specimen plant, or used as a hedge or ground cover. It is typically propagated by seeds or cuttings, and prefers well-drained soils and a sunny to partly shaded location.
Habitat: Found in lowland forest, along forest margins and streambanks, in scrub, gravelly places and along the edges of bogs and swamps.
Flowering: Spring [October - November]
Fruiting: Autumn [March - May]
Tags: Coastal, DrainField, PoorSoils, Rongoa, Wetland
Coprosma rhamnoides (Red-fruited Coprosma)
Coprosma rhamnoides is a dense tightly divaricating shrub. Tiny light green leaves. Stiff red/brown branches. Good for exposed, dry areas. N.Z. flora has a large number of shrubs with small tough leaves and wiry interlacing branches – divaricates. Some even have brown or grey new growth, giving a dead-like unattractive appearance. It is suggested that this may be a defensive growth mechanism to deter visits from browsing moa. Coprosma rhamnoides is a good example.
In October the plants develop small pale cream flowers which are dioecious (sexes separate). These flowers are wind pollinated. Drupes appear on the female plant in March-April small (3-4mm) red berries, turning dark red or black as they ripen.
Habitat: It is widespread in Canterbury and Westland in lowland to lower montane-scrubland and forest mostly as an understorey plant. It is less common higher in the montane zone.
Flowering: Spring [October - November]
Fruiting: Autumn [March - April]
Tags: Dioecious
Coprosma robusta (Karamu)
Coprosma robusta, Karamu, is a fast-growing shelter, hedging and nurse plant. Competes well with gorse. Laden with bright-orange fruit/seeds March-July. As with other Coprosma species, their berries are ideal for attracting birds, especially bellbirds, tuis and waxeye. This is one of the many reasons why Coprosma robusta is a pioneer revegetation species. Its wide, bright green leaves are thick, smooth, and shiny. Can be confused with C. lucida. Shade tolerant. Suits low-frost sites. Evergreen.
History of use: Karamū is used for a variety of purposes in human culture. The fruit that Coprosma robusta produces can be eaten, and the shoots of Karamū are sometimes used for medical purposes.
Habitat: Common throughout coastal, lowland and lower montane habitats within shrublands and open sites within forest.
Flowering: Spring [August - November]
Fruiting: Autumn [February - May]
Tags: ErosionControl, Rongoa
Coprosma rotundifolia (Round-leaved Coprosma)
Coprosma rotundifolia is an attractive upright shrub with soft, thin, quite rounded pale-green and purple-blotched leaves with interlaced branches. Rather slender shrub up to 2-4 m tall; branches spreading to divaricate that does well in dappled light. Coprosma rotundifolia is superficially similar to and most often confused with C. rubra. Coprosma rubra differs from the much more widespread C. rotunidfolia by its smaller leaves. Leaves are covered in small hairs, rapidly tapering to a sharp tip. Both species may be found growing together. The flowers and orange-red berries are in small clusters. Should be planted in a free draining but moist fertile soil.
The flowers are dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate trees). The female flowers are seated in the green calyculus which is formed by the fusion of two stipulate bracts. The petals above are joined with the 2 female translucent stigmas rising above. They are pollinated by wind. Coprosma rotundifolia produces orange or red fruit (4-5 mm in diameter) on very short stalks. The fleshy fruits have two seeds and are dispersed by birds.
Habitat: Lowland to montane. Usually in riparian forest and shrubland, especially on alluvial soils or those derived from calcareous parent materials.
Flowering: Spring [September - November]
Fruiting: Summer - Winter [September - August]
Tags: Dioecious
Coprosma rubra
Coprosma rubra is a rare hardy shrub with stems of young branches a reddish colour. Yellow / White berries. Well-drained sites.
Small-leaved Coprosmas are good for revegetation projects, hedging, and adding texture into a garden. They are evergreen and suited to full sun to part shade. They produce berries from January to April that are dispersed by fruit-eating animals (frugivory). They also provide habitat for New Zealand’s declining lizard and gecko populations.
Mingimingi provides a tough shelter, providing good food for native birds and lizards, as well as ground cover.
Habitat: Lowland to montane. Usually in riparian forest and shrubland, especially on alluvial soils or those derived from calcareous parent materials.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [September - January]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [January - April]
Tags:
Coprosma rugosa (Needle-leaved Mountain Coprosma)
Coprosma rugosa is a hardy native shrub good for exposed sites. A divaricating shrub selected for its texture and structure. Excellent for mass planting, hedged or low maintenance, structure plantings. Evergreen. Hardy.
Habitat: Found in lowland, montane and subalpine grasslands, scrublands and forest margins.
Flowering: Spring [October - November]
Fruiting: Autumn [February - April]
Tags: DrainField
Coprosma virescens (Mingimingi)
Coprosma virescens, mingimingi, is an upright shrub or small tree with attractive thin, pale-green leaves. Bark is mottled grey, pale-yellow and cream. The fruit are white or green-tinged, sometimes mottled with black. Thrives in cold conditions, partially deciduous putting the bold branch colour on show in winter.
Small-leaved coprosmas are good for revegetation projects, hedging, and adding texture to a garden. Mingimingi are evergreen and suited to full sun to part shade. They produce berries from January to April that are dispersed by fruit-eating animals (frugivory). They also provide habitat for New Zealand’s declining lizard and gecko populations. As attractors of these small animals, they are a pioneer shrub in revegetation projects. Mingimingi provides a tough shelter, providing good food for native birds and lizards, as well as ground cover for these.
Habitat: Lowland to lower montane. On well drained to poorly draining fertile soils (often overlying calcareous or base-rich igneous rocks). In forest and shrubland.
Flowering: Spring [September - November]
Fruiting: Summer [January - April]
Tags: PoorSoils
Cordyline australis (Ti Kouka, Cabbage Tree)
Cordyline australis, Ti Kouka, commonly called Cabbage Tree, is one of the most identifiable New Zealand native plants in the landscape. It has a tall straight trunk or trunks and a dense round head, with a sphere of long narrow leaves. Cabbage tree produces a profusion of attractive and scented flowers in spring. It is an abundant seeder. It looks most natural in the ornamental garden if planted in groups. Three or more plants can be planted together in the same hole to produce this effect. It grows in all soils and situations, even in swampy ground, where little else of interest will grow.
Cordyline australis is a light-demanding pioneer species, and seedlings die when overtopped by other trees. To grow well, young plants require open space so they are not shaded out by other vegetation. Its fruit and nectar are a favourite food source for kererū and tūī. Bellbirds like to nest in Tī Kōuka. Some lizards forage among the flowers of Cordyline australis and the nectar of the flowers is sought after by insects.
History of use: The Maoris obtained a most nutritious food, kauru, from the root of the young cabbage tree. This root is an extension of the trunk below the surface of the ground and is shaped like an enormous carrot some 2–3 ft long. An observer of the early 1840s, Edward Shortland, noted that the Maoris “prefer those grown in deep rich soil; they have learned to dig it at the season when it contains the greatest quantity of saccharine matter; that is, just before the flowering of the plant. They then bake, or rather steam it in their ovens. On cooling, the sugar is partially crystallised, and is found mixed with other matter between the fibres of the root, which are easily separated by tearing them asunder, and are then dipped in water and chewed”. The trunk of the cabbage tree is so fire-resistant that early European settlers used it to make chimneys for their huts. They also brewed beer from the root.
Medical Uses: An infusion of the leaves was used for dysentery and diarrhoea and for cuts. (From "Maori medical lore" by W. H. Goldie. 1905) The leaves were softened by rubbing and scraping. These scrapings were applied as an ointment to cuts, cracks in the skin and sores (from unpublished notes by Beryl Moore 1940). The younger inner shoots and the top of the stem were boiled and eaten by nursing mothers and were given to their children for colic. (From unpublished notes by T. Kururangi 1941)
Habitat: Widespread and common from coastal to montane forest. Most commonly encountered on alluvial terraces within riparian forest.
Flowering: Spring [October - December]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [January - April]
Tags: Coastal, ErosionControl, Rongoa, Wetland
Corokia cotoneaster (Korokio)
Corokia cotoneaster, or Korokio, is a good hedging and ornamental shrub. Corokia cotoneaster prefers to survive in areas that are not wet. It will grow and develop in dry, rocky, and dense soils. Attractive fine silver/grey foliage with bright yellow flowers in early summer. Densely interlaced branchlets. Red berries/seed. Evergreen. Very hardy to drought and cold.
As it is a tough plant that attracts birds and lizards, it is suitable for restoration projects. As part of the dry woodland community, it plays an important role in conditioning the soil. The soil conditioning creates a more hospitable environment for less robust species and broadleaf/podocarp forest succession. Other plants in this community include but are not limited to Discaria toumatou, Poa cita, Ozothamnus leptophyllus, Sophora prostrata, Melicytus alpinus and Cordyline australis.
Habitat: Found in scrub and on dry river flats and rocky places throughout the country.
Flowering: Spring [September - December]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [January - May]
Tags: DrainField, PoorSoils
Discaria toumatou (Matagouri)
Discaria toumatou, commonly called Matagouri, is a tangle-branched, extremely thorny, divaricating shrub or small tree up to five metres tall. It has small leathery leaves close to the thorns, which are only abundant in spring or the shade. The flowers are tiny and white with no petals. It is the only New Zealand native plant that has thorns. Nitrogen-fixer. Common in dry shrublands of the eastern South Island.
It is most common in tussock grassland, stony areas and river beds. It is common in the eastern South Island, and found in a few coastal localities in the North Island south from the mouth of the Waikato River. As with other Discaria species it fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere with the help of symbiotic bacteria of the genus Frankia in its roots. It often grows in association with mingimingi (Coprosma propinqua), porcupine shrub (Melicytus alpinus, an alpine mahoe) and native brooms (Carmichaelia species). Seeds are dispersed by ballistic projection and water.
As a native plant matagouri has complete protection on public conservation land and a degree of protection on private land under the Resource Management Act 1991. In a notable case a 400 ha area of matagouri forest, including trees that may have been 150 years old, was illegally sprayed at the head of Lake Sumner in 2001.
Habitat: Found in dry riverbeds, open rocky places and sand dunes from coastal to subalpine.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [October - January]
Fruiting: Summer [December - March]
Tags: Rongoa
Festuca novae zelandiae (Hard Tussock)
Festuca novae-zelandiae is a fine-leaved tawny tussock, upright in habit. A common component of low tussock grasslands on dry, windy and cold plains in Canterbury & Otago. It is deep rooted and dominant on steep, exposed slopes. In alpine areas at lower altitudes Festuca novae-zelandiae is associated with the narrow-leaved snow tussock (Chionochloa rigida). Stunning grass en masse. Needle thin erect leaves green to blonde. Tolerates poor soil and dry conditions.
The tawny leaves are 15-60cm long and have a width of 0.5-1mm. They are rough to touch and have sharply pointed tips. The margins are tightly in rolled giving the leaf a cylindrical appearance. The flowering stems are up to 70 cm tall with a 5-12 cm long open flowering panicle.
Habitat: Short tussock grasslands. Pre-1900s short tussock grassland covered considerable areas of the eastern South Island from sea level up to between 800 and 900 metres high.
Flowering: Spring [September - November]
Fruiting: Summer [December - February]
Tags: PoorSoils
Haloragis erecta (Toatoa, Fire Weed)
Haloragis erecta, Toatoa (not to be confused with other NZ plant species also known as toatoa) is a small perennial shrubby plant endemic to NZ, growing from sea level to about 500m altitude, distinctive for its toothed leaves and reddish stems. Toatoa readily colonises cleared or burnt ground, giving rise to another common name, fire weed.
Habitat: Coastal to montane in forest or scrub. Often on slip scars or colonising recently cleared ground. Often appearing following fire (hence one of the common names).
Flowering: Throughout the year
Fruiting: Throughout the year
Tags: Rongoa
Hoheria angustifolia (Houhere, Narrow-leaved Lacebark)
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Hoheria angustifolia, Houhere, commonly known as Narrow-leaved Lacebark, is a tree native to New Zealand. It is a member of the family Malvaceae and is known for its striking appearance, with its slender leaves and attractive flowers. The leaves of Hoheria angustifolia are narrow and lanceolate.
The flowers of Hoheria angustifolia are one of its most distinctive features. They are typically large and showy, measuring 1.5-2 cm in diameter and arranged in clusters at the tips of the branches. The flowers are usually white and fragrant, and attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
The bark of Hoheria angustifolia is smooth and greyish-brown when young, becoming rougher and more fissured with age. The bark peels off in strips, revealing a lighter colored inner bark, which adds to its aesthetic appeal.
Hoheria angustifolia is primarily grown as an ornamental tree in gardens and parks, appreciated for its graceful form, attractive flowers, and interesting bark. It is also used in ecological restoration projects for its ability to attract pollinators and provide habitat for birds and insects.
History of use: The inner bark of Hoheria angustifolia has been used traditionally by Maori for making rope and twine.
Habitat: A common mostly lowland forest species frequenting alluvial forest where it may at times be dominant. Hoheria angustifolia is often an important host for taapia (Tupeia antarctica).
Flowering: Summer [December - March]
Fruiting: [February - April]
Tags: Rongoa
Kunzea ericoides (Kanuka)
Kunzea ericoides, Kanuka tree, is a fast growing tree found throughout the north of the South Island. The leaves are softer to touch than Manuka and has smaller white flowers in Summer. It is very hardy, tolerating drought, frosts and poor soils. It is a primary colonising plant and used for revegetation as a nurse plant. Both manuka and kanuka are used as a nurse crop with other early colonizing plants for revegetation / restoration planting and are also very effective in erosion control. It is fast-growing, but short-lived, living up to 150 years. A juvenile takes about seven years to reach reproductive maturity. Very hardy.
History of use: The name "tea-tree" comes from the early bushman who used Manuka and Kanuka leaves to brew a drink similar to tea. Captain Cook was the first person to brew tea from manuka and said that it had a very agreeable, bitter taste when made with fresh leaves, but lost some of it piquancy when made with dry leaves. Kanuka leaves produce a tea that isn't quite as flavourful. Both tea-trees supposedly have medicinal uses and properties whose benefits far outweigh any considerations of taste. The leaves, brewed in water, help urinary complaints and reduced fevers.
The Maori and early settlers used to chew young shoots or swallow a drink made from seed capsules as a cure for dysentery and diarrhoea. The liquid from boiling the bark was used to treat constipation, as a sedative to promote sleep and reduce fever, for bathing sore eyes, treating colic, inflamed breasts, scalds and burns. The white gum was applied to scalds and burns and was taken by adults and children to relieve coughing. There are much more medicinal uses to which tea-tree was put to. Kanuka flowers produce a reasonable amount of nectar that is quite favoured by honeybees. The thick golden honey is hard to remove from honeycombs, but is quite popular for its strong taste and reputed antibacterial properties. Nowadays New Zealand’s monofloral Manuka and Kanuka pharmaceutical honey are both renowned for their natural health benefits.
The tough wood was used by Maori for implements such as fern root beater, mauls, paddles, weapons, spade blades, weeders, digging sticks and bird spears. The timber was noted for its straight grain, durability and strength by early European settlers, and was in demand for wheel-spokes, tool handles and other such purposes. Kanuka and Manuka wood is commonly used as firewood, especially for barbeques, or charred into charcoal. Older trees of have their trunks covered with a light brown bark that readily strips off, and is frequently used for fire-kindling. Both Manuka and Kanuka branches have been used to make brush brooms.
Habitat: Coastal to lowland shrubland, regenerating forest and forest margins, also present in montane forest, ultramafic shrubland and very occasionally present in subalpine shrubland.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [September - February]
Fruiting: Autumn [March - April]
Tags: ErosionControl, PoorSoils, Rongoa
(Taxonomists recently confirmed that K ericoides, K robusta, and K serotina are all the same species and declared all South Island Kānuka Kunzea ericoides.)
Leptinella dioica (Shore Cotula)
Leptinella dioica is an herbaceous perennial native to New Zealand. It is a creeping and somewhat fleshy plant that bears small and green, fern-like leaves with a touch of bronze. Small, yellow flowers are borne through spring and summer amidst the foliage. It typically grows to 10 cm tall and 70 cm wide, growing best when planted on a well-drained site in full sun or partial shade. This hardy plant has storage roots which enable it to survive moderate frosts, dry periods, and coastal environments. This is a great plant to use as a low groundcover, for planting between rocks and pavers, using in tropical gardens, or planting around pool areas. Can be used as a lawn substitute in low traffic areas which are seasonally damp or somewhat poorly drained. Tolerates sun, wet and dry periods and salt water. Will grow on clay banks. Evergreen. Hardy.
Habitat: Coastal and inland up to 1000 m a.s.l.. In the northern part of its range usually on the margins of saltmarshes but further south extending well inland in seepages and permanently open, damp turfs.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [August - January]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [October - June]
Tags:
Leptinella filiformis (Slender Button Daisey)
Leptinella filiformis is a tight mat of fine fern-like aromatic leaves. Good for lawns. Part shade, open areas / White button flower. Hardy
Habitat: A species of lowland to montane (300-600m a.s.l.) basins, plains, hills and valley floors where it grows in grasslands, open shrubland, and under open Kanuka canopy. In the remaining wild population it lives in mostly open areas which are muddy in Winter but baked dry in Summer.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [November - February]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [December - May]
Tags: PoorSoils
Leptinella squalida (Brass Buttons)
Leptinella squalida, Brass Buttons, is a gray-green creeper with little green leaves that resemble fern fronds. A dense mat-forming perennial, Leptinella squalida turns bronze in autumn. Sometimes called New Zealand Brass Buttons, its tiny yellow button blooms often go unnoticed. It will tolerate moderate foot traffic. Leptinella squalida prefers partial shade to shade and well draining soil.
Habitat: Mostly coastal or inland (0-300 m a.s.l.), in open turf, on coastal cliffs, in coastal turf, along river beds or in open grassland and open, damp places within shrubland and lowland forest.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [August - February]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [December - June]
Tags: DrainField
Leptospermum scoparium (Manuka, Tea Tree)
Leptospermum scoparium, the Manuka tree (or Tea Tree), is a fast growing shrub with abundant white flowers in Summer. The flowers are attractive to bees. Both manuka and kanuka are used as a nurse crop with other early colonizing plants for revegetation / restoration planting and are also very effective in erosion control.
Mānuka is often confused with the related species kānuka (Kunzea ericoides) – the easiest way to tell the difference between the two species in the field is to feel their foliage – mānuka leaves are prickly, while kānuka leaves are soft. Alternatively, the seed capsules of mānuka are large (5–7 mm in diameter) and often remain on the plant year round, whereas the seed capsules of kānuka are much smaller (2.2–4.6 mm in diameter) and are not present for much of the year.
History of use: The wood was often used for tool handles. Mānuka sawdust imparts a delicious flavour when used for smoking meats and fish. It is cultivated in Australia and New Zealand for mānuka honey, produced when honeybees gather the nectar from its flowers, and for the pharmaceutical industry. An essential oil, for which many medicinal claims are made, is produced by steam distillation of its leaves.
Habitat: Abundant from coastal situations to low alpine habitats.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [September - March]
Fruiting: Autumn - Summer [Throughout the year]
Tags: ErosionControl, Rongoa, Wetland, WinterPollen
Melicytus alpinus (Porcupine Shrub)
Melicytus alpinus get their common name, porcupine shrub, from the long, almost leafless, spindly branches which resemble the quills of a porcupine. Its leaves are narrow and generally have smooth margins with a few exceptions with serrated edges, however, they do only have a small amount of leaves and they are only approximately 1cm long. Hard and dense, slow-growing in coastal or alpine areas of southern North Island and the South Island it looks almost leafless. But most of the leaves are sheltered between the stiff interlacing stems as an adaptation to the harsh environment where the plant grows. Leaves are variable, leathery.
Melicytus alpinus is very well adapted to extreme weather conditions such as drought, which is why it can be found in areas such as the heavily modified high country of the South Island.
Melicytus alpinus is a habitat to many lizards endemic to New Zealand, this group of lizards include both skinks and geckos. This relationship is mutually beneficial as the lizards use the porcupine shrub as protection from weather and/or predators and in turn eat and spread the seeds from the shrub's berries.
Habitat: Occurs east of the Southern Alps in exposed rocky places between 600m and 1.300m. Found in the wild on very light sand or rocky soils, or on rock outcrops in full sun though it grows on any well-drained soil.
Flowering: Summer [November - January]
Fruiting: Autumn [February - April]
Tags: RarePlant
Melicytus crassifolius (Thick-leaved Mahoe)
Melicytus crassifolius is heavily-branched, with arching stems that taper at the tips to a sharp point. The small bright olive green leaves are teardrop shaped. It has small, greenish, bell-shaped flowers which appear underneath branches in summer, They form in clusters along the branches. The fruit is small bright white berries and they develop late summer until early winter. Usually, a blue spot appears on the berry with age.
Habitat: This compact hard shrub is endemic to both the North and South Island where it is typically found along coastal lowlands (0-300 m a.s.l.). Usually coastal in open grey scrub, on talus and alluvial terraces, cobble beaches, cliff faces, and in coarse stable sand dunes (especially swales). Inland it may be found in open grassland, amongst kanuka stands and along river flats.
Flowering: Summer [August - January]
Fruiting: Autumn [February - May]
Muehlenbeckia astonii (Pohuehue)
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Muehlenbeckia astonii, Pohuehue, is a coastal divaricating shrub with a wiry interlacing habit. Small, bright-green heart-shaped leaves. This plant is extremely hardy, tolerating dry conditions and wind. Popular landscaping plant, providing great contrast. Makes an attractive topiary or hedge. Attracts birds, insects and lizards. Semi-deciduous. Hardy.
Unlike most New Zealand plants M. astonii is leafless in winter. This is when the distinctive branches add interest to the garden. It grows from a distinct trunk and has many fine reddish-brown to orange flexible branches that zigzag around one another to form a dense, interwoven ball. Its flowers, appearing from December to January, are tiny and are greenish to white or pinkish white. The fruits are sweet and edible, eaten by birds and lizards. The plant is an important host for several endemic insect species and in some cases their sole host.
Habitat: Coastal to lowland. This species is associated with “grey” scrub communities, largely confined to drier lowland parts of eastern New Zealand. It is found on moderate to high fertility soils. Its deep root system helps it survive in dry conditions, and can grow on open rocky hillsides and stony ground. It prefers free-draining, warm, sunny slopes, such as the mid-dune areas along the coast. The plant is often found in association with Coprosma crassifolia, Coprosma propinqua, Muehlenbeckia complexa, Discaria toumatou, Olearia solandri and Ozothamnus leptophyllus.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [August - January]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [October - June]
Tags: Rongoa
Muehlenbeckia axillaris (Creeping Pohuehue)
Muehlenbeckia axillaris, commonly known as Creeping Pohuehue or wire vine, is a low dense ground cover, forming wiry mats up to about 1 m in diameter. It spreads along the ground and even underground. It flowers prolifically in summer with masses of small creamy flowers. The flowers are yellowish white, 4-8 mm in diameter, and borne in groups of up to 3 in the axils. Male and female flowers often occur on the same plant and the female flowers form small opaque white fruit. Provides habitat for native copper butterflies. Birds and geckos love the fruit.
This groundcover has stems and small dark green leaves. Muehlenbeckia axillaris has thin wiry red-brown stems, with small dark green leaves that are less than 1 cm in diameter, and 2–4 mm thick. Prefers full sun. Tolerant of hot, dry conditions. Evergreen. Hardy.
Muehlenbeckia axillaris is primarily grown as an ornamental plant for its unique growth habit and attractive foliage. It is often used in rock gardens, coastal gardens, or other landscapes where its trailing habit can be appreciated. It is also used in erosion control and habitat restoration projects due to its ability to stabilize soil and provide cover for wildlife.
Habitat: Found in subalpine rocky places, riverbeds and and grasslands.
Flowering: Summer [November - April]
Fruiting: Autumn [December - April]
Tags: ErosionControl, Rongoa
Muehlenbeckia complexa (Scrambling Pohuehue)
Muehlenbeckia complexa, commonly called scrambling or small-leaved Pohuehue, is quite vigorous and probably the best species for trimming and topiary. It is semi-deciduous, losing most, or all of its leaves over winter. Grows to 4m or more up suitable supports, and produces swollen white berries with black seeds. Leaves turn bronzy before dropping in late fall/early winter. Any reasonably well drained soil will suit this agreeable groundcover, and it'll tolerate drought, salt spray, and wind. Often found growing in the company of Plagianthus divaricatus.
M. complexa can form dense springy mounds, useful for suppressing weeds. In its native environment, it plays a key role in sealing human and natural disturbances on the forest edge. It also suppresses the growth of introduced weeds, such as blackberry, and promotes increased insect diversity. A wide variety of insect species are associated with M. complexa. It is an important host plant for several endemic species of copper butterflies including the coastal copper (Lycaena salustius). It is also a food source for lizards and birds such as tui, bellbird and kererū, which also feed on the buds and leaves.
Habitat: Found along rocky coasts as well as inland in coastal and montane forests.
Flowering: Spring - Autumn [October - June]
Fruiting: Winter [July - September]
Tags: ErosionControl, PoorSoils, Rongoa
Myrsine divaricata (Mapau, Weeping Matipo)
Myrsine divaricata is a small evergreen, bushy shrub, with spreading, drooping branches, which can grow to 6m high. The drooping branches give rise to woody interlacing (divaricating) branchlets bearing solitary leaves or leaves in groups. Tiny flowers, with pale yellow or red petals, occur in clusters. Evergreen.
Habitat: Found in subalpine scrub and forests, preferably where the ground is moist.
Flowering: Winter [June - November]
Fruiting: Spring - Autumn [August - April]
Olearia adenocarpa (Small-leaved Tree Daisy)
Olearia adenocarpa is a critically endangered species, threatened by browsing animals and habitat loss. A spreading, small leaf shrub with fragrant flower. Clip to keep compact. Withstands harsh, drought-prone places. Only found on a few sites on dry rocky old river channels near the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers.
As part of the dry woodland community, it plays an important role in conditioning the soil. The soil conditioning creates a more hospitable environment for less robust species and broadleaf/podocarp forest succession. Other plants in this community include but are not limited to Discaria toumatou, Poa cita, Ozothamnus leptophyllus, Corokia cotoneaster, Melicytus alpinus and Cordyline australis.
Habitat: A lowland species of recently deposited alluvial gravels and sands. Generally grows in degraded to unimproved dry grassland along the dry stony terraces and channels that border a braided riverbed.
Flowering: Summer [January - February]
Fruiting: Autumn [February - March]
Tags: RarePlant
Olearia arborescens (Pekapeka, Common Tree Daisy)
Olearia arborescens is a bushy small tree bearing leathery oval pointed dark green glossy leaves that are paler underneath and large clusters of white daisy-like flowers in Spring to early Summer that develop into fluffy seeds. Leaves variable, 4-8cm long, longer than wide, edge with a few small sharp bumps. The trunk has thin, papery bark which peels in long thin flakes. During spring and summer, it has white flower heads with 15-20 individual flowers (up to 15 mm) on each. Flower petals are white and the centre pale yellow. Hardy, but prefers well-drained or even dry site.
Habitat: Occurs in forest and shrublands in lowland and montane environments. It grows in lowland to alpine scrubland in the North Island from East Cape southwards, and throughout the South and Stewart Islands.
Flowering: Spring - Summer [October - January]
Fruiting: Summer - Autumn [December - March]
Olearia avicenniifolia (Mountain Akeake)
Olearia avicenniifolia, or Mountain Akeake, is an autumn flowering shrub - sweet showy, daisy like flowers. Silver / green large leaf. Very hardy bushy shrub tolerates exposure and dry sites.
Habitat: Occurs in scrub from sea-level to 900m.
Flowering: Autumn [January - April]
Fruiting: Autumn [February - May]
Olearia lineata (Small-leaved Tree Daisy)
Olearia lineata is one of the best native plants for hedging with fine grey, willowy foliage. Fast growing and hardy, forming a graceful tree, bearing masses of erect twigs with clusters of small very thin leaves that are white underneath, on the margins of steep river gorges and amongst rocky outcrops. Bushy tree up to 6m tall with a fragrant white flower. Evergreen. Hardy.
Habitat: A rare, at-risk and in decline tree endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Found mostly in the east in damper sites from lowland to 300m above sea level. Found on tussock grassland and forest margins, river terraces. Also found on the margins of steep river gorges, and amongst rock outcrops, boulder field and at the toe of alluvial fans.
Flowering: Summer [November - January]
Fruiting: Autumn [January - April]
Tags: RarePlant
Olearia nummulariifolia (Tree Daisy)
Olearia nummulariifolia is a medium-sized, much-branched, box-like shrub. It's stiff branches give the bush an unusual appearance. Olearia nummulariifolia has small closely set yellow-green leaves (5-10mm long and 4 -6 mm wide). They are leathery, very thick and small roundish (coin-shaped hence the specific name) leaves that have a brownish tomentum underneath.. Its daisy flowers appear in spring through to autumn on the branch tips. Ideal for low hedging.
Habitat: It is found in alpine dry and open situations usually at 600–1,400 m, from Lat 37 degrees 30 minutes southwards throughout New Zealand descending to lowlands in the southern part of its range.
Flowering: Summer [November - April]
Fruiting:
Olearia paniculata (Akiraho, Golden Akeake)
Olearia paniculata, Akiraho, is a rounded small tree with yellowish-green wavy leaves. Flowers small, white, in dense clusters. Fragrant sweet-scented flowers are borne in autumn. A good shelter plant. Hardy and tolerant of coastal conditions.
Due to its attractive appearance and hardiness, Olearia paniculata is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental shrub in gardens and landscapes. It can be utilized as a hedge, specimen plant, or included in mixed border plantings.
Habitat: Found in scrub east of East Cape to south Canterbury
Flowering: Autumn [March - May]
Fruiting: Winter [April - July]
Tags:
Ozothamnus leptophyllus (Tauhinu, Cottonwood)
Ozothamnus leptophyllus, commonly called Tauhinu or Cottonwood, is a bushy shrub with small silver green leaves with fine silver hair beneath. The stems silver/white in colour. It has an attractive silver-grey appearance and flowers in profusion with clusters of tiny cream daisy (wheel-shaped) flowers followed by down-covered seed heads.
Ozothamnus leptophyllus is fast-growing, reaching its maximum height of 2 metres in 10–15 years. Tauhinu can readily colonise bare hillsides and pasture, with seeds readily dispersed by the wind. It grows rapidly, acting as a nursery plant for other species. Unless their under storey plants are heavily grazed, tauhinu shrublands are usually overtopped by taller shrubs and trees. Because of this, Tauhinu makes an excellent coastal or dry woodland revegetation plant. Seeds readily dispersed by the wind. It prefers a sunny location and is frost hardy.
Habitat: Found in coastal to subalpine shrubland.
Flowering: Summer [December - March]
Fruiting: Autumn [March - April]
Tags: PoorSoils
Phormium cookianum (Wharariki, Mountain Flax)
Phormium cookianum, Wharariki, is commonly called Mountain Flax, is a superb species, one of the hardiest and the most striking. Long arching green leaves all year round, and 2 metre long flower stalks over summer - particularly attractive to native birds. Use as a 'groundbreaker' in new gardens, en masse on banks. Foliage and flowers are great for floral artwork.
Phormium cookianum is a flax up to 1-3 metres tall but generally smaller than Phormium tenax. The numerous leaves are 5-12cm wide, thick, fibrous, droopy, and rise from fan-like bases. The tubular 25-40 mm long flowers are a dull pink or yellow colour. The seed capsule is pendulous and twisted.
Habitat: Strictly confined to subalpine, alpine situations, where it mainly grows on cliffs and mountain slopes, in seepages, along stream sides or on the margins of bogs.
Flowering: Spring [October to December]
Fruiting: Summer [January to March]
Tags: Coastal, DrainField, Rongoa
Pimelea prostrata (Pinatoro, NZ Daphne)
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Pimelea prostrata, Pinatoro, or NZ Daphne, is a native groundcover with an attractive low growing plant with white flowers. It flowers prolifically over the summer months and is followed by small clear, white berries. The outstanding blue green foliage is a stand out with this groundcover. Is best grown in a free-draining soil in a full sun position. Excellent for sunny banks or rockeries.
Habitat: Coastal to montane. In open sites, such as coastal gravel, sand dunes, grasslands and mudstone cliffs.
Flowering: Spring - Autumn [September - May]
Fruiting: Winter [June - August]
Tags: Rongoa
Poa cita (Wi, Silver Tussock)
Poa cita, Wi, or Silver Tussock, is a densely tufted tussock of a graceful habit. Fine shiny silvery-green erect foliage with a flowing habit. Slender flowering stem, tawny coloured. Best in poor dry soils in an open situation. Excellent for mass planting. Great for exposed windy sites.
Habitat: Preferring a full sun position, tolerant of light shade, coastal conditions, and drought. Poa cita is often found in dry woodland and grassland plant communities
Flowering: Summer [November - December]
Fruiting: Summer [January - February]
Tags: PoorSoils, Rongoa
Raoulia hookeri (Golden Scabweed)
Raoulia hookeri is a small, mat-forming evergreen perennial with tiny, rosettes of silver, spoon-shaped leaves. Excellent in the rock garden.
The genus Raoulia is named after Étienne Fiacre Louis Raoul (23 July 1815–30 March 1852) who was a French naval surgeon and naturalist. On the ship L’Aube who was in Akaroa in 1840-41. He published a book Choix de plantes de la Nouvelle-Zélande ("Selected plants of New Zealand") in 1846. The genus was named after him by Joseph Hooker.
The Species hookeri is named after Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (born 1817) a world famous botanist who travelled on the Antarctic expedition of 1839 under the command of Sir James Ross and wrote "Handbook of New Zealand Flora" published in 1864-67 describing many specimens sent to Kew by collectors. He died in 1911 and has a memorial stone at Westminster Abbey London.
Habitat: Dense mat forming plants found covering stone-strewn dry river and stream beds. Found in alpine dry rocky places and screes.
Flowering: Summer [December - January]
Fruiting:
Sophora microphylla (South Island Kowhai)
Sophora microphylla is also known as South Island Kōwhai, having showy yellow flowers in early spring. This particular Kōwhai has very small leaves (microphylla) and a tangled juvenile form, tending to straighten up and grow from an upright trunk at about four years. Kōwhai makes a good garden tree and is necessary for revegetation projects as a bird attractor. Kōwhai are suited to upper bank plantings of riparian areas. They also make beautiful shade or specimen trees. Semi-deciduous. Hardy.
Sophora microphylla have horn-shaped yellow flowers. The nectar is a favourite food for Tui, Bellbird and Kererū which also eat the leaves. The seed pods which appear after flowering stay hanging on the tree through winter.
Kōwhai is the national flower of New Zealand.
Habitat: In the North Island, especially the northern half this is a species of mainly riparian forest. South of Hamilton it can be found in a diverse range of habitats from coastal cliff faces and associated wetlands to inland grey scrub communities. Sophora microphylla and Sophora prostrata are the only forms naturally existing in Canterbury.
Flowering: Winter [August - October]
Fruiting: Spring - Summer [October - May]
Tags: Rongoa, WinterPollen
Sophora prostrata (Dwarf Kowhai)
Sophora prostrata, commonly known as Dwarf Kowhai, is a low-growing shrub or small tree species that belongs to the family Fabaceae. It is native to New Zealand and is known for its vibrant yellow flowers and unique, prostrate growth habit.
One of the most distinctive features of Sophora prostrata is its striking yellow flowers, which are pea-like in shape and arranged in clusters at the ends of the branches. The flowers usually appear in late winter or early spring, and their bright yellow color is a standout feature against the dark green foliage. The flowers are attractive to bees and other pollinators.
Sophora prostrata is endemic to New Zealand, where it is found in a variety of habitats including coastal cliffs, sand dunes, shrublands, and forests. It is particularly well-adapted to tolerate salt spray and harsh coastal conditions, which makes it suitable for coastal gardens and landscaping.
Sophora prostrata serves as an important host plant for the caterpillars of several native butterfly species. Additionally, Sophora prostrata is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and landscapes due to its attractive flowers and unique growth habit. Semi-deciduous. Very tough on exposed, cold, dry sites.
Habitat: Found from the coast to subalpine in open rocky planes. Confined to the eastern South Island from Marlborough to the Waitaki Valley.
Flowering: Spring [September - October]
Fruiting: Summer [January - February]
Tags: PoorSoils
Veronica odora (Hebe odora, Boxwood Hebe)
Veronica odora, formerly known as Hebe odora, is a rounded NZ native Hebe has dark green box-like foliage and racemes of white flowers in summer. Can be clipped to maintain a neat shape and makes an attractive hedge. Light prune and feed after flowering to maintain shape and promote new growth.
Habitat: It grows in montane to penalpine grassland, shrubland, bogs and flushes.
Flowering: Summer [October to March]
Fruiting:
Veronica traversii (Hebe traversii)
Veronica traversii, formerly known as Hebe traversii, is an erect bushy shrub with green branchlets. Oblong narrow dull mid green leaves, dull green underneath. The white flowers with red stamans, are long and loose making a great show in spring over a long period. It will grow in sun or semi-shade, best in well drained soil, will grow in dry sites. Hardy to cold. A very tidy plant that clips well, and stays looking great for many years.
Habitat: Grows in scrub and at forest margins, often in river valleys, in situations ranging from near-coastal to montane or subalpine.
Flowering: Summer [January - February]
Fruiting: