Natives & Grasses

The most stunning of the cabbage trees. Trunks usually unbranched, topped with a large head of sword-shaped, decorative leaves having a reddish midrib. Flowers appear on long drooping panicles in summer, followed by dark purple berries that attract birds.

Divaricating shrub to 3m. Leaves spoon shaped, and white below. Star-like, yellow flowers followed by orange red berries. Drought and salt spray tolerant and when clipped forms an excellent hedge.

Fast growing tussock 2-3m tall. Spectacular creamy white plumes with sharp-edged leaves. Good filler or low shelter species.

Fast growing, glossy leaved tussocks to 1m. Papyrus like flower and seed heads. Cutting edges on leaves and culms make this a good barrier plant.

Specimen tree to 35m. Juvenile leaves have a bronze tinge. Adult trees have dark green, compressed scales. Female trees bear single seeds on top of small, bright red fruits which are attractive to native birds. Tolerates wet feet.

Comparatively rare sand binding plant with thick underground rhizomes. 60-90 cm high with stiff, somewhat curling, yellowish green to golden leaves. Used by Maori for weaving.

Hardy tufted plant resembling a small, fine-leaved flax. Produces relatively insignificant flowers but these turn into very ornamental berries ranging from pale to dark blue. Great either mass planted or as a garden specimen.

Fast growing, small tree to 7m. Suitable for coastal sites. Red brown, peeling bark and papery, creamy coloured seed capsules are a feature from summer to autumn. Excellent hedge subject else an attractive small specimen tree.

Purple form of akeake. Very fast growing small tree with red/brown peeling bark, purplish red foliage and bright purplish red seed capsules in the summer. Ideal for coastal sites and low shelter else an attractive small specimen tree.

Produces 30mm long, green and purple flowers from July to December. Both flowers and dark coloured berries that follow attract birds.

Trailing shrub to 50cm wide. Dainty, rounded scalloped leaves 1cm wide. Erect flowers in summer, then bright red berries 2cm long. Ideal over walls or in hanging baskets.

Hardy tree with large, shiny leaves. Found in forests and coastlands. Excellent shelter tree and can be trimmed into a novel hedge.

Light green, willow shaped leaf with white or lilac flowers occurring in midsummer. Leaves can be used to prepare a medicinal tea.

Spectacular, dense racemes of magenta or deep reddish purple which flower over many months. Rounded shrub to 1.5m with handsome, thick, dark green leaves.

A slender, much branched hebe to 4m. Pale lilac to white flowers through summer.

Perennial herb to 60cm tall. From summer to autumn it produces a profusion of creamy yellow flowers blotched with maroon eyes. Decorative, papery capsules. Hardy.

A narrow leaved, slender tree reaching 10m. Tall, juvenile form has small roundish leaves that eventually become elongated and serrated. In mid-summer the tree is smothered with starry-petalled white flowers.

Fast growing, graceful tree with oval, fresh green, serrated leaves to 12cm long, often purple beneath. Showy masses of starry, white flowers appear late summer through autumn. Tolerates wet sites.

Grows to 4-6 metres. Has weeping branches and small, scented flowers in summer and autumn. Leaves are narrower than H. populnea.

New Zealand honeysuckle. A tall, distinctive looking tree to 30m. Dense, bottlebrush-like racemes of rusty red flowers appear in spring through summer and attract birds to their nectar. Also known for its handsome timber for interior use.

Kanuka. Also known as: Kunzea ericoides. Shrub or small tree producing abundant clusters of small white flowers in summer followed by small capsules which are shed in autumn. A fibrous barked trunk growing to 15m in the wild. A natural nurse crop for other native species and superb firewood.

Shrub or small tree to 6m with peeling bark. Leaves aromatic, small, stiff. White scented flowers to 12mm wide are borne prolifically for many months from spring and are much loved by bees. Fast growing, valuable nurse species.

Small plant, stiff upright leaves which turn yellow in full sun. Decorative, orange yellow fruits. Very effective when mass planted as a ground cover.

Forms clumps of erect, stiff, copper coloured leaves with prominent orange mid-ribs.

Feature shrub 3-7m with heart shaped, aromatic leaves.

Graceful shrub or small tree to 5m. Leaves 3-5 x 10-15cm, yellow green, finely serrate. Tiny, yellow or purplish, bell flowers hang below branches. Female plants produce purple berries relished by native birds.

Tree to 10m with whitish bark. Leaves variable: up to 15 x 5cm; thin; mid green. Flowers small, yellow, very fragrant bells. Females produce masses of mid blue to dark purple berries.

Small tree with very large leaves and fragrant flowers. Makes an excellent tub plant. Most unusual and uniquely New Zealand.

New Zealand Christmas tree. Brilliant red flowers in December. Useful for coastal shelter and hedges as well as specimen trees.

Climbing white rata with small leaves and white flowers.