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Flora of New Zealand

Flora of New Zealand

Flora of New Zealand...

The New Zealand Bush...
New Zealand's long isolation from other continents is responsible for some unique developments in plant and animal life. Before humans arrived, much of the country was covered in dense tangled forests and heavy undergrowth alive with native birds, many flightless. With the introduction of grazing animals, much of the undergrowth was thinned out; early settlers felled the forests, and introduced predators chased many unique birds into extinction.

Today, the remaining native forests are lush wonderlands of subtropical appearance. Ferns, mosses, and lichens carpet the floor, tree ferns grow up to 10 meters high, and twining creepers, nikau palms, palm lilies, tree ferns, and many species of native trees intermingle to form a dense green canopy overhead - called "the bush" by New Zealanders.

For fern lovers, New Zealand is a delight. Ferns (one of the country's national emblems) seem to grow everywhere - on trees, along rivers and streams, on hillsides, and in open areas, and the more than 150 species range in size from filmy two-cm ferns to impressive 15-meter tree ferns.

New Zealand native Trees...
Altogether 112 native tree species grow in New Zealand amongst the dense undergrowth and large areas of scrub (mainly manuka or tea-tree).

A few ancient kauri pine (Agathis australis) forests can still be appreciated on the North Island, growing naturally only north of latitude 39 degrees south. These magnificent trees grow up to 53 meters high, losing their lower branches to become long bare cylinders of intricate design with large bushy tops. They were the favorites of the forest for Maori war canoes--a vast canoe could be chiseled out of one tree trunk. Unfortunately, they were also the favorites of early shipbuilders and settlers, who rapidly depleted the forests without much thought to the future - the kauri takes about 800 years to mature. Nowadays, these impressive trees survive in relatively few areas, towering above the other trees in small groves or randomly in the bush. Two areas in Northland, northwest of Dargaville, are worth a special visit just to see these giants - Waipoua Forest Park, with two very famous trees (one is estimated to be at least 2,000 years old), and the small but beautiful Trounson Kauri Park.

Most of New Zealand's flowers are white or cream. However, native flowering trees and shrubs add red and yellow highlights to the evergreen flora of New Zealand.

A few of the most spectacular flowering trees are the pohutukawa, rata, and kowhai. The striking pohutukawa (Metrosideros tomentosa), or New Zealand Christmas tree, is a mass of scarlet flowers in December. The rata (Metrosideros robusta), another vividly colored tree also covered in red blossoms, is initially a parasitic vine, growing up a host tree (often strangling it) until it has grown roots and become a tree in its own right. The bright yellow hanging blossoms of the kowhai (Sophora tetraphera) bloom in all their glory during spring. Large beech (Nothofagus) forests with little undergrowth cover upland areas, and vast areas of land throughout New Zealand have been planted with exotic trees for timber, thus saving the remaining indigenous trees. The most common nonnative tree is the radiata pine. It flourishes here, growing to complete maturity within 35 years--a popular tree with the timber industry.

Flowers of New Zealand...
At least three-quarters of New Zealand's flowering plants are endemic. Orchids are abundant, adding multihued splashes of color to the landscape. About 60 species thrive in the lowland forests and countless beautiful parks and gardens.

The alpine flowers are vastly different from those of other countries, with about 500 species of flowering plants found only in New Zealand's alpine areas. Large, white mountain daisies (Genus Celmisia) are the most common; the beautiful Mt. Cook lily (Ranunculus lyallii) is the largest of the buttercups. A rather strange growth called vegetable sheep (Raoulia eximia), a large, low-to-the-ground, cushionlike plant covered in white hairs, grows only in the South Island and is easily mistaken for a sheep from a distance!

Apart from the abundance of native wildflowers, New Zealanders also take great pride in their gardens. If you're a flower fancier, stroll through any of the suburbs (particularly of Hamilton, Cambridge, New Plymouth, Napier, and Christchurch) to see a great variety of both indigenous and exotic plantlife, tended with obvious TLC (most New Zealanders are born with green thumbs).

Botanical gardens, reserves, and beautiful parks (called "domains") are found in most cities, and are highly recommended as part of any walking tour.