Disphyma australe,  horokaka,  or New Zealand ice plant is endemic to the Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. It is found in coastal areas (rarely inland), mostly on cliff faces, rock stacks, and boulder/cobble beaches, more rarely in saltmarsh and estuaries. Often in petrel scrub on offshore islands, and extending into coastal forest around petrel burrows. Occasionally on limestone or sandstone cliffs in lowland forest (Western Waikato). A  more or less succulent trailing, many-branched perennial herb that forms spreading patches  more than a metre across, with thick succulent roundedly triangular green leaves, that can often be stained red especially when growing in full sun. It has bright to pale pink flowers (rarely white) from October to December, sometimes through to April, that are followed by succulent seed capsules from December to April that mature dry and hard, but open when wet and close when dry. In a garden situation, it likes well-drained soil in a sunny position and will withstand considerable drought making it great for dry areas of the garden or sandy coastal gardens. Unfortunately it can be rather frost-tender is regions that suffer severe frosts.

Metrosideros carminea , crimson rata or carmine rata is endemic to the North Island (from Te Paki south to Taranaki in the west and Mahia Peninsula in the east), where it is found in coastal to montane (mainly coastal to lowland) areas. A woody long-climbing clinging vine of closed forest and forest margins (often along water ways and on ridge lines, especially on rock outcrops and cliff faces). Only mature plants are reproductive. Juvenile foliage hairy, with young growth often pinkish. Adult leaves more or less circular, dark glossy green above, pale green below, surfaces without any obvious glandular spotting. Flowers carmine borne in dense, terminal, fluffy, clusters. It needs some protection if grown in Christchurch from frost.  It prefers an open situation with good deep loamy soil in semi-shade with reasonable moisture.  It has flowers from August-October.

Chionochloa rubra or red tussock is endemic to the North, South, and Stewart Islands from the Volcanic Plateau southwards. In the far south it attains its greatest development in parts of Otago and Southland. Chionochloa rubra is divided into 3 subspecies, but the one usually grown is C. rubra ssp. Cuprea or copper tussock, which is endemic to the South Island (North Canterbury and south and west to Fiordland) and Stewart Island. It grows in coastal to alpine regions from sea-level to 1500m asl., inhabiting bogs and tussock grassland where it may be the dominant tussock. It grows to forma large flowing tussock up to 1.6m tall and 1.8m wide, with finer foliage than some of the other forms, and when rippled by the wind it provides a lovely flowing effect. Its leaves have a typical tawny colour that can have very orange or reddish tones in the cooler autumn and winter conditions. It is a very hardy plant, and will grow in a wide variety of conditions, in exposed and windy sites, in low-fertility soils, and will tolerate relatively wet or dry soils. In the garden it is a great plant as an individual specimen, or for making a fantastic display when planted in a group. It is also a very useful plant for providing habitat for wildlife, especially as a marginal plant around ponds and wetland areas.

Elaeocarpus dentatus or hinau is endemic to the North and South Islands, and is found from sea-level to 600m asl., mainly in coastal and lowland forest though occasionally extending into montane forest, from near North Cape to the Catlins River in Otago. Tree up to 20 m tall (usually less), with broad spreading crown.  It is a very handsome medium-sized round-headed tree, 12-13m tall, sometimes up to 20m, with a trunk sometimes 30-90cm through.  This very distinctive tree is easily recognised by the erecto-patent leathery bicoloured leaves, white "lily of the valley" like flowers that appear from October to February, followed by small ovoid purple-black drupes from December to May. It will grow in a sunny or semi-shaded position that has good deep rich, moist soil. The fruits of the hinau were a food source for Maori, but were unpalatable in their fresh state that they needed a considerable amount of preparation after cooking to satisfy with their taste. A coarse meal by made from the prepared kernels, and mixed with water to form a cake that was baked in an umu for up to 2 days. The bark was also used to make a dark blue-black dye.

Podocarpus acutifolius, needle-leaved totara or Westland totara is endemic to the South Island, and is found in lowland to mountain forest from the Marlborough Sounds westward and south to South Westland. A very distinct and easily recognised species that is often local in its distribution and not often seen, and in cultivation is quite rear. In a garden situation it can be usually kept as a very compact shrubby habit of 1.5 - 1.8m but can often grow into a small tree of 4.6 - 9m tall that has quite ascending branches with very straight narrow linear needle-pointed leaves that can be quite yellowish to yellowish-brown colour that can intensify during very cold months. It is very hardy, will grow in most soils and can make quite a good hedge. Podocarpus acutifolius was discovered near the Buller River by T. Kirk in 1874.

Attracting native wildlife to your garden

Invite the birds over

If you are designing a new garden or redeveloping an old, why not create a setting where native wildlife will be as equally at home - it may well double the pleasure you get from the garden! Even if your garden is small, it can still attract birds on a temporary basis, especially over winter and spring when the tui, bellbird and kereru (native wood pigeon) will travel considerable distances in search of flowers and fruit. Silvereye, grey warbler and fantail are insect eaters so plant varieties are not so important as a healthy organic mix of spiders, moths, beetles, wetas, earthworms, katydids and stick insects. A good layer of mulch or leaf litter on the garden will encourage insects and birds are a natural way of keeping them under control. Morepork and kingfisher eat insects as well as mice. Birds also pollinate flowers and give pleasure with their song. In making your garden attractive to native birds, introduced birds such as goldfinch, chaffinch, yellow hammer, blackbird, song thrush, house sparrow and starling are also likely residents.

Plant food species

Some rough ‘wild’ areas are ideal for wildlife, especially gullies, streams and boggy areas but it is possible to have a more formal garden and still have native birds visiting. This is more likely if you have native bush nearby and some favourite food trees for birds in either shelter belts or around the garden. These could include kowhai, flax, kaka beak and tarata for nectar and wineberry, karamu and korokia for fruit. The chart overleaf is a guide to some of the more important food bearing species, though it should be noted that not all grow in all parts of the country.

 As a general rule, choose plants that naturally occur in your area. Plant favourite bird

foods like flax and kowhai where you can see them from inside the house. But avoid planting too close to the house as reflections on windows can confuse birds. A number of kereru are killed every year trying to fly through panes of glass - a distressing way to die for such a beautiful bird.

Hang it high

Most native birds have become wary about feeding on the ground, wise to the fact that a cat may be lurking in the bushes. Think about growing ground creepers like Fuchsia procumbens in a hanging basket – it is a wonderful sight with red berries hanging down. Climbing plants like Metrosideros carminea, Passiflora tetranda (NZ passionfruit)  and Tecomanthe speciosa also have a place along a wall or over a pergola - but you do need a frost free site for Tecomanthe.

Keep it low

In designing your garden, consider making some safe areas for lizards by using low-growing, dense plants such as Coprosmas or Muehlenbeckia as well as rocks, dry stone walls, concrete slabs or even a log stack where lizards can hide from predators, especially cats.

Pushed for space?

If you have limited space for big trees, try growing plants in containers, for example, titoki, broadleaf or cabbage tree. Some shrubs like kakabeak can even be standardised to fit in with your garden design – but make sure you allow them to flower so the birds benefit.

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 and there are many more. There are 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. Our staff should be able to advise further.

Botanical name , Common name & Features

Tall trees

Dacrycarpus dacrydioides kahikatea  f i

Elaeocarpus hookerianus pokaka  f i

Podocarpus totara totara  f b i

Prumnopitys ferruginea miro f b

Prumnopitys taxifolia matai  f b i

Trees & Tall Shrubs

Alectryon excelsus titoki  f

Aristotelia serrata makmako f i

Carpodetus serratus putaputaweta f b i

Coprosma species f l

Cordyline australis ti kouka f n i

Corynocarpus laevigatus karaka

Fuchsia excorticata kotukutuku f n b i

Griselinia littoralis kapuka  f b i

Hedycarya arborea porokaiwhiri  f i

Hoheria angustifolia hungere i

Knightia excelsa rewarewa n i

Kunzea ericioides kanuka n i

Leptospermum scoparium manuka n i

Lophomyrtus obcordata rohutu  f

Marcopiper excelsum kawakawa f

Melicope simplex poataniwha f i

Melicytus ramiflorus mahoe n b i f l

Myoporum laetum ngaio f n

Myrsine australis mapou f i l

Olearia species  tree daisies i

Pennantia corymbosa kaikomako f n i

Pittosporum eugenioides tarata f

Pittosporum tenuifolium kohuhu f i

Plagianthus regius manatu i

Pseudopanax arboreus whauwhaupaku f n i

Pseudopanax crassifolius horoeka f n b i

Pseudopanax ferox toothed lancewood f n b i

Pseudowintera colorata horopito f

Schefflera digitata patete f

Sophora species kowhai n i

Vitex lucens puriri f n i

Shrubs

Aristotelia fruiticosa  mountain wineberry f

Coprosma species f  b l

Corokia species & cultivars f n

Hebe species & cultivars i

Helichrysum lanceolatum niniao i

Melicytus alpinus porcupine shrub f l

Melicytus micrantus manakura f l

Muehlenbeckia astonii shrubby pohuehue f n l

Myrsine divaricata weeping matipo f i l

Neomyrtus pendunculata rohutu f n i

Phormium cookiaum wharariki n

Phormium tenax harakeke n

Podocarpus nivalis mountain totara f b i

Raukaua anomalus f n

Sophora species kowhai n i

Small shrubs and groundcovers

Astelia species f i

Clianthus puniceus n i

Libertia species NZ iris f n

Coprosma cultivars groundcovers f l

Dianella nigra turutu f

Fuchsia procumbens creeping fuchsia f n i

Muehlenbeckia axillaris creeping pohuehue f n l

M. complexa pohuehue white fruit f n l

Parahebe species n i

Pratia angulata panakenake f i l

Rubus parvus creeping lawyer f

Climbers

Clematis species n i

Metrosideros species n i

Parsonsia species b

Passiflora tetranda kohia f

Rubus species f

Ripogonum scandens kareao f

Tecomanthe speciosa n

f = fruit/seed

n = nectar

b = bud/foliage

I = insects

l = fruit for lizards

Clematis quadribracteolata is endemic to the North and South Island, and is found from Waitomo and the Bay of Plenty south to the Eastern Wairarapa in the north, and Nelson, Marlborough, Westland, Canterbury, Otago and Southland in the south, mainly in the drier east. It grows in lowland to subalpine areas favouring grey scrub, frost flats, forest margins, grows on
tussock grasses, and is found in low, wet areas near streams and along roads. It is an evergreen slender, low-growing woody climber with grooved branchlets, glabrous of finely puberulent when young. It has branches that grow 1-2m in length and it prefers a sunny to half-shady situation on moderately moist soil. It has very small, sweetly scented red/pink, violet/purple flowers from September to October.