What to plant
There are many native trees, shrubs and climbers that look attractive in the garden and also provide food and shelter for wildlife. The following is a selection only.
There are also numerous hybrids and cultivars of native plants developed for garden situations - but these should not be planted in or near natural bush so as to avoid cross pollination. Your local plant nursery should be able to advise further.
Planting list
| Botanical name |
Common name |
Features |
|
Trees over 6 metres |
|
|
|
Alectryon excelsus |
titoki |
red fruit |
|
Carpodetus serratus |
putaputaweta |
lilac flower |
|
Cordyline australis |
ti kouka (cabbage tree) |
cream flower |
|
Coprosma repens |
taupata |
orange/yellow fruit |
|
Griselinia littoralis |
broadleaf |
purple fruit |
| Fuchsia excorticata |
kotukutuku or konini |
red flower, black fruit |
| Knightia excelsa |
rewarewa |
red flower |
|
Melicytus ramiflorus |
mahoe |
violet fruit |
| Pennantia corymbosa |
kaikomako |
black fruit |
| Pittosporum eugenioides |
tarata (lemonwood) |
yellow flower |
|
Pittosporum tenuifolium |
kohuhu |
dark red flowers |
|
Pseudopanax arboreus |
five finger |
black fruit |
| Schefflera digitata |
pate |
purple/black fruit |
|
Sophora tetraptera |
kowhai |
yellow flower |
|
Vitex lucens |
puriri |
red flower |
|
Trees and shrubs
(approx 1.5m to 6m) |
|
|
|
Aristotelia serrata |
wineberry |
deep red fruit |
|
Brachyglottis repanda |
rangiora |
yellow flower |
|
Coprosma rhamnoides |
coprosma |
crimson fruit |
|
Coprosma robusta |
karamu |
orange/red fruit |
|
Coprosma grandifolia |
kanono |
orange fruit |
|
Cordyline indivisa |
mountain cabbage tree |
cream flower |
|
Corokia species |
korokio |
orange to red fruit |
|
Leptospermum scoparium |
manuka |
white/pink flower |
|
Marcopiper excelsum |
kawakawa |
orange fruit |
|
Myrsine australis |
mapou |
black fruit |
|
Phormium tenax |
NZ flax |
yellow flower |
|
Pittosporum crassifolium |
karo |
crimson flower |
|
Pomaderris apetala |
tainu |
yellow flower |
|
Pomaderris kumeraho |
kumerahou |
yellow flower |
|
Pseudopanax laetus |
five finger |
black fruit |
|
Sophora microphylla |
kowhai |
yellow flower |
|
Shrubs
(approx 500 mm to 1.5 m) |
|
|
|
Alseuosmia macrophylla |
toropapa |
cream to red flower |
|
Astelia nervosa |
astelia |
orange fruit |
|
Clianthus puniceus |
kaka beak |
red flower |
|
Coprosma cheesmanii |
coprosma |
orange red fruit |
|
Corokia cotoneaster |
korokio |
red fruit |
|
Hebe species |
hebe |
flowers various colours |
|
Libertia grandiflora |
NZ iris |
orange seed pod |
|
Melicytus micranthus |
nanakura |
purple to white fruit |
|
Phormium cookianum |
dwarf mountain flax |
yellow flower |
|
Rhabdothamnus solandrii |
matata |
yellow to red flower |
Low-growing plants
(to 500 mm approx) |
|
|
|
Coprosma acerosa & brunnea |
sand coprosma |
pale blue fruit |
|
Dianella nigra |
NZ blueberry |
blue fruit |
|
Fuchsia procumbens |
fuchsia |
red fruit |
|
Hebe species |
hebe |
flowers various colours |
|
Libertia ixioides or L.peregrinans |
NZ iris |
orange seed pod |
|
Muehlenbeckia axillaris |
creeping pohuehue |
white fruit |
|
Parahebe species |
parahebe |
white flower |
|
Podocarpus nivalis |
mountain totara |
red fruit |
|
Pratia angulata |
creeping pratia |
purple/red fruit |
|
Container plants |
|
|
|
Alectryon execelsus |
titoki |
red fruit |
|
Astelia species |
|
orange fruit |
|
Clianthus species |
kaka beak |
red flower |
|
Cordyline australis |
cabbage tree |
cream flower |
|
Cordyline indivisa |
mountain cabbage tree |
cream flower |
|
Griselinia littoralis |
broadleaf |
purple fruit |
|
Phormium species |
NZ Flax |
yellow flower |
|
Pittosporum species |
|
yellow to red flowers |
|
Pseudopanax species |
five finger |
black fruit |
|
Vitex lucens |
puriri |
pink/red flower, red fruit |
|
Climbers |
|
|
|
Metrosideros carminea |
carmine rata |
crimson flower |
|
Passiflora tetranda |
kohia |
orange fruit |
|
Tecomanthe speciosa |
|
cream flower |