Canterbury plains
The history of the native vegetation of the Canterbury Plains is one of succession, destruction and regeneration. For many millions of years prior to European settlement the patterns of native vegetation were defined by the shifting rivers and creeks, floods, shingle build-up, alluvial deposits, soil damage and fire from both natural and human ignitions.
Planting species represented here will eventually provide a link between the native remnants of the Canterbury Plains, (kānuka forests of Eyrewell and Bankside reserves), the foothills (beech forest of the Oxford-Ashley area) and the tall podocarp/hardwood forests of Riccarton Bush in Christchurch and Port Hills reserves.
Source: Native plants natural to the Canterbury plains : DOC.
See more detailed plant listing for Low Plains
| Trees/Shrubs/Creepers/Climbers |
Grasses/Flaxes |
| Brachyglottis monroi |
Aciphylla subflabellata kuri kuri, spear grass |
| Carmichaelia australis |
Anemanthele lessoniana (R), wind grass |
| Carmichaelia kirkii (T) |
Austroderia richardii, toetoe |
| Clematis marata |
Brachyscome pinnata (T) |
| Coprosma areolata |
Carex buchananii, matirewa, cutty grass |
| Coprosma crassifolia |
Carex comans, tussock grass |
| Coprosma intertexta (R) |
Carex flagellifera, mänia, tussock grass |
| Coprosma lucida, shining karamu |
Festuca novae-zelandiae, fescue grass |
| Coprosma obconica (R/T) |
Phormium cookianum, wharariki |
| Coprosma sp. 'Taylorii’ |
Phormium tenax, harakeke, New Zealand flax |
| Coprosma propinqua, mingmingi |
Poa cita, wï, silver tussock |
| Coprosma rhamnoides |
|
| Coprosma robusta, karamü |
|
| Coprosma rotundifolia, round-leaved coprosma |
|
| Coprosma rugosa |
|
| Coprosma pedicellata (R/T) |
|
| Coprosma virescens |
|
| Cordyline australis, cabbage tree |
|
| Corokia cotoneaster, korokio |
|
| Discaria toumatou |
|
| Elaeocarpus hookerianus pökäkä |
|
| Griselinia littoralis, päpäuma, broadleaf |
|
| Hoheria angustifloia |
|
| Hypericum gramineum, rolled-leaf hypericum |
|
| Kunzea ericoides, känuka |
|
| Leptinella filiformis (T) |
|
| Leptinella squalida |
|
| Leptospermum scoparium, mänuka, tea tree |
|
| Lophomyrtus obcordata röhutu, NZ myrtle |
|
| Melicytus alpinus, porcupine shrub |
|
| Melicytus crassifolius |
|
| Muehlenbeckia astonii (T), shrubby tororaro |
|
| Muehlenbeckia axillaris |
|
| Myrsine australis, red matipou |
|
| Myrsine divaricata, weeping matipou |
|
| Olearia adenocarpa (T), scented tree-daisy |
|
| Ozothamnus leptophyllus, golden cottonwood |
|
| Pittosporum eugenioides, tarata, lemonwood |
|
| Pittosporum tenuifolium, köhühu, black matipo |
|
| Plagianthus regius, mänatu, ribbonwood |
|
| Podocarpus totara, tötara |
|
| Pomaderris phylicifolia var. ericifolia (T), tauhinu |
|
| Prumnopitys taxifolia mataï, black pine |
|
| Raukaua anomalus whauwhaupaku |
|
| Sophora microphylla, köwhai |
|
| Sophora prostrata, dwarf köwhai |
|
| Teucridium parvifolium (T) |
|
PLANT NAME (T = threatened, R = rare)
