Wetland and river/stream margin native plants

Introduction

Learn the various native wetland and river/stream margin native that grow in Canterbury.

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Grown from seed collected from Motukārara, Te Waihora and Canterbury native vegetation remnants.

The Christchurch natural vegetation pattern in pre-human times was diverse. Between the floodplains of the northern rivers, the estuary and coastal dunes in the east, and the loess-capped basalt of the Port Hills to the south there was a huge mosaic of open swampland, swamp forest, woodland and tussock grassland.

Riccarton Bush is a fine example of the tall podocarp/hardwood forest that once thrived on the poorly drained alluvial sediments of the Waimakariri River and its tributaries.

The species represented in this garden are a sample of the Christchurch wetlands, and river- and stream-margin plants. Other plant species appropriate to Christchurch can be found in our Coastal, Banks Peninsula and Canterbury Plains Gardens.

Consult the Motukārara Nursery catalogue or other recommended literature for the height and spread of species, environmental preferences and tolerances.

For the selection of the native plants natural to different areas of Christchurch, see the Ecosystem Maps of Christchurch published by Christchurch Otautahi Agenda 21 Committee or the Streamside Planting Guide, published by the Water Services Unit of the Christchurch City Council

Wetland and river/stream margin

Species name and common name

  1. Apodasmia similis oioi, jointed wire rush
  2. Austroderia richardii toetoe
  3. Baumea rubiginosa New Zealand sedge
  4. Bolboschoenus caldwellii purua, sedge
  5. Bulbinella angustifolia Mäori onion
  6. Carex buchananii matirewa, cutty grass
  7. Carex flagellifera mänia, tussock grass
  8. Carex flaviformis pürei, yellow sedge
  9. Carex geminata rautahi, cutty grass
  10. Carex maorica
  11. Carex secta pükio
  12. Carex solandri
  13. Carex virgata swamp sedge
  14. Coprosma propinqua mingimingi
  15. Coprosma robusta karamü
  16. Cordyline australis ti köuka, cabbage tree
  17. Cyperus ustulatus toetoewhatu, giant umbrella sedge
  18. Dacrycarpus dacrydioides kahikatea, white pine
  19. Elaeocarpus hookerianus pökäkä
  20. Eleocharis acuta sharp spike sedge
  21. Hebe salicifolia koromiko
  22. Juncus caespiticius wï, grass-leaved rush
  23. Juncus gregiflorus wï, leafless rush
  24. Juncus pallidus wï, giant rush, leafless rush
  25. Juncus planifolius wï
  26. Juncus sarophorus wï
  27. Leptospermum scoparium mänuka, tea tree
  28. Lophomyrtus obcordata röhutu, New Zealand myrtle
  29. Mazus novae-zelandiae subsp. impolitus mazus
  30. Phormium tenax harakeke, New Zealand flax
  31. Pittosporum tenuifolium köhühu
  32. Schoenoplectus pungens three square
  33. Schoenoplectus validus lake clubrush
  34. Schoenus pauciflorus
  35. Zotovia avenacea pätïtï, bush rice grass

Some Maori names are generic, eg.
wi – tussock spp. and some rush spp.

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