Native Plants in Our District

Asplenium flabellifolium is commonly known as necklace fern. This small and attractive native fern is usually found on the ground of open forests. It can be seen in rock crevices, caves, on fallen logs and tree trunks, beside streams, or near cliffs, or waterfalls.

The fronds are 10 to 20 centimetres long, with five to 20 pairs of leaflets which are often fan-shaped.

Blechnum minus or swamp kiokio is a fern found in gullies, stream sides and damp areas such as water races and wetlands. New fronds are reddish pink in colour.

Blechnum novae-zelandiae is commonly known as palm-leaf fern or kiokio.

It can often be found growing in clay soil on embankments, roadsides and along water races.

Kiokio has long fronds that grow up to two metres long by 50 centimetres wide. They are pink when new and as they age they turn green and darken.

This hardy evergreen fern, often referred to as alpine-hard fern or  little hard fern, is easily recognised by its small size, narrow fronds, and extensive creep.

New copper red fronds emerge in the spring  and gradually fade to rich green.

This endemic herb is only found in New Zealand, usually  in damp muddy ground.

Sometimes called the climbing convolvulus, this perennial vine or scrambling plant is often found in scrubland and lowland forest margins.

It usually flowers from September to March.

Carex beviculmis is a coastal or mountainous short green tussock with a coarse leaf blade.

This plant thrives in dry, shady areas and is usually found on roadside grasslands.

Sometimes referred to as cutty grass, Carex coriacea is a perennial sedge found only in New Zealand . It flowers in spring.

A robust native grass with a wide spreading habit for wetland areas.

It has creeping roots and green leaves with a sharp edge.

Carex germinata grows  in damp or swampy ground  and is an excellent plant to stabilise stream banks.

A native tussock forming sedge often found in swampy areas.

Mature specimens have trunk-like bases which are comprised of matted  stems and roots.

Carex sinclairii is also known as sinclair's sedge and can be found in freshwater wetlands, under willow trees, along river and stream banks, at lake margins and forest clearings.

It flowers from October to November.

This is a vigorous clumping, bright green tussock. It has fine-leaves that have sharp edges.

a New Zealand broom. It is not closely related to the European species, Common Broom, which has been introduced  and is classed as a noxious weed because of its invasiveness.

Carmichaelia australis grows to a height of three to five metres and is hardy and fast growing and is multi-trunked from the base.

Also known as New Zealand sneezewort, this herb is  classified as a "naturally uncommon" species. It is a member of the daisy family.

New Zealand sneezewort can grow on open damp ground and at water margins.

Clematis marata is a native climber that only occurs in the South Island.

It can be found on river terraces, rock outcrops, dry hillsides and scrub habitats. It is a slender low-climbing evergreen woody climber. The  leaves are hairy on both sides.

This is a low growing, very small leaved shrub with short leafy branches. It inhabits upland areas and has fuzzy twigs  with glossy leaves. It bears orange or reddish fruit.

This stiff-branched native shrub grows up to 4 metres high. It has red-brown branches with sparse round, stiff leaves. It bears yellowish or white fruit.

This is a bushy, reddish-white intertwined mountainous shrub native to the South Island.

A low-growing sprawling shrub also known as turfy coprosma or mirrorplant. It inhabits open upland areas and is hardy and wind-pollenated.

Coprosma propinqua or mingimingi is a small-leaved shrub or tree which grows three to six metres high. Mingimingi is common in swampy forest, in scrub, along stream banks and in stony places. It has a wide distribution through out New Zealand and grows from sea level to 460 metres.

The cabbage tree is one of the most distinctive trees in New Zealand. They grow all over the country, but prefer wet, open areas like swamps. cabbage trees have scented flowers in early summer, which turn into bluish-white berries. Growing 12 to 20 metres high, cabbage trees have long narrow leaves that may be up to a metre long. As the plant gets old, the stems may die but new shoots grow from any part of the trunk. The bark is thick and tough like cork, and a huge fleshy taproot anchors the tree firmly into the ground.

Cortaderia richardii or toe toe is a slender tussock-forming grass  which reaches up to three metres tall when flowering. Common along stream banks, river beds, around lake margins, and in other wet places.

Also known as plume grass, dichelachne crinita is a light green to yellow-green tufted grass with light brown leaf-sheaths.  It is often seen on sandy soils near the sea as well as woodlands. The flower clusters are open and feathery at maturity. The grass may grow up to 1.5 metres tall.

Dichondra repens is also known as Mercury Bay weed. It is a creeping, turf-forming herb which favours partly shaded damp places. It has kidney shaped leaves which measure 0.5 to 2.5 centimetres long. The tiny yellowish-green flowers form mostly in summer.

Discaria toumatou or matagouri is a tangle branched, extremely thorny shrub or small tree up to five metres tall. It has small, oval leathery leaves close to the thorns, which are only abundant in spring or in the shade. The flowers are tiny and white with no petals.

Eleocharis acuta or sharp spike-sedge is a land based or semi aquatic sedge forming yellow-green tufts. Usually found in swamps, and on stream, river, pond, and lake margins.

Elymus Solandri or blue wheat grass is a bluish-green grass forming loose to open, somewhat floppy tufts.

An erect, slender unbranching annual or perennial herb. The thin, rough  leaves are greyish-green on the uppersurface and cotton-white underneath.

Euchiton sphaericum grows as an erect annual herb from four to 25 centimetres high, with yellow, cream or brown flowers.

In summer, Histiopteris incisa is a  green fern, with soft fronds. It loses its leaves in cooler weather.

Also known as thousand-leaved fern, it is a large, semi-evergreen fern with slightly hairy yellowish green fronds. The fronds resemble the size and shape of bracken.

Found commonly from between the coast to the hills, Juncus distegis is usually located in open scrubland, seasonally wet places or around the edges of wetlands.

Juncus edgariae/gregiflorus, wiwi or edgars rush usually grows in open scrubland, fringing wetlands and in seasonally damp sites. The rush is a number of hues from bright to dark green, orange green to red green  and forms compact  tussocks.

A common tall bushy tree also known as kanuka. It has a flaky bark bearing masses of narrow soft leaves and small white flowers.

Leaves are long and narrow and soft to grasp. It has flowers in many sprays, with a red shiny centre. The fruit is a small dry capsule two to three millimetres wide.

A very small floating plant also known as duckweed. It grows in groups to cover large areas of fresh water. It self propogates and can grow at a rapid rate.

Leucopogon fraseri or patotara is a low growing,  almost prickly shrub with wiry branches with bronze green leaves. It can grow up to  up to 15cm tall and has white, tubular  flowers and sweet, juicy orange fruit.

Also known as mudwort, Limosella lineata is a semiaquatic plant. It grows in moist land habitat such as meadows, in mud and wet sand next to water, and partly submersed or floating in the water. It has small white flowers.

Melicytus aff alpinus is a dense small shrub with many thick tapering grey speckled branches bearing clusters of small dark green oval leaves.

It has inconspicuoius white bell shaped flowers  and bears white fruit, usually with purple patches.

Melicytus flexuosis is a greyish tangled shrub with speckled, nearly leafless, twigs.

The dark green leaves are rare and are 10-20mm long by 1mm wide. The small, bell shaped flowers are sweetly perfumed and can be found under its branches.  The shrubs fruit are small and purple.

Microtis unifolia or onion-leaved orchid is a bright to dark green orchid which has a long life. It has self pollinating green flowers which appear  from August to November in long clusters.

Also known as pohuehue, this rampant climber has  large leaves and is part of the dock family. The flowers are greenish and juicy fruits form as black shiny seeds covered by a white, succulent cup of sepals.

This is a creeping or straggling shrub with dark wiry branches and thick dark leaves that are paler beneath.  Also known as creeping pohuehue. Small white flowers and prominent black fruits attached to the petals which usually enlarge to become succulent and glassy. Often common on damp stony sites.

Muehlenbeckia complexa or scrub pohuehue is a hardy vigorous semi-deciduous vine found naturally on sand dunes and in coastal scrub . It grows into a tangled mass of brown wiry stems with small round leaves. The small cream flowers are followed by black seeds held in a fleshy cup. It will form a dense mound up to 2 metres wide and will climb over other plants and fences reaching a height of five metres or more.

An untidy, sprawling mass of seemingly dead stick and twig-like dark grey to grey-black branches which are near leafless.  It forms dense, untidy mats up to 1.5 metres. It has green or white flowers from November to June each year.

Myriophyllum propinquum has feathery foliage that carpets the water surface. It can grow in water or on damp land. It grows in slow streams and ponds as an emergent plant, as it will grow in 1 metre of water and extend its stem until it reaches the surface so that it is partially in the air.

Olearia bullata or tree daisy is a bushy greyish shrub with wide-angled interlacing reddish twigs. It bears wrinkled narrow rolled leaves that are white underneath.  It has small white flowers which produce fluffy seeds.

Oxalis exilis is highly variable, with slender, creeping, almost wiry stems. The typical leaves are often bluish-grey or reddish, especially beneath. The most distinctive feature is its yellow flowers.

Parsonsia Heterophylla or white jasmine is a white flowered climbing vine found throughout New Zealand. In spring and summer it bears clusters of pleasantly scented fragrant small white flowers.

Phormium tenax, often refered to as flax, harakeke or korari, has numerous leaves, arising from fan-like bases.

Individual leaves rather stiff at first, but become floppy in the upper half of the plant. Leaves are usually blue-grey or dark green.

Flax has red, pink or yellow flowers from September to January.

Pittosporum tenuifolium, matipo or kohuhu is a small tree with very dark twigs bearing pale green shiny wavy thin leaves and very dark, fragrant flowers. The leaves are usually two to four centimetres long.

Poa Cita is also known as silver tussock.  It grows to 1m with silvery-green foliage  and tall feathery seed heads.

Pseudognaphalium luteo-album has grey foliage and grows as an erect herb up to 70 centimetres high, branching from the base. Flowers can be cream, yellos or pink.

Pteridium esculentum is more commonly known as bracken. It has large coarse ferns which has large fronds with spore cases along the undersides and extensive underground stems.

Also known as leafless lawyer, this plant is prickly and often nearly leafless. It has scrambling vine bearing yellow prickles and with small reddish blackberry-like fruit. Yellow spines contrast with the green stem. It has white flowers in a loose spray to 20 centimetres long.