Your Own Backyard:

What to Plant

Apple/Crab Apple, Pear

Scientific Name: Malus X Domestica, Pyrus Communis
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 4m
Habitat and Special Features: Spring blossoming and has small fruit favoured by wax-eyes.

Blue Gum

Scientific Name: Eucalyptus Globulus subsp. Globulus
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 40m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required. Large tree.

BOTTLE BRUSH

Scientific Name: Callistemon spp.
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 5m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required. Excellent nectar source.

Cabbage tree

Scientific Name: Cordyline Australis
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 12m
Habitat and Special Features: Iconic tree with white flowers and fruit which are favoured by birds.

Camellias

Scientific Name: Camellia Japonica
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required. More simple, open flowering varieties are best.

Coastal banksia

Scientific Name: Banksia Integrifolia
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 16m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required. Excellent nectar source. Can be weedy in some locations.

Cook strait kowhai

“Dragon's Gold”

Scientific Name: Sophora Molloyi
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 2m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required. Best on steep banks and garden sites.

Feijoa

Scientific Name: Feijoa sellowana
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 3m
Habitat and Special Features: Frost-sensitive when young.

Fierce lancewood

Scientific Name: Pseudopanax Ferox
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Locally threatened.

Fivefinger

Scientific Name: Pseudopanax Arboreus
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Dominant forest understory species.

Green misteltoe

Scientific Name: Lleostylus Micranthus
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 1m
Habitat and Special Features: Locally threatened species which grows on other trees. Good fruit source for birds. Needs to be grown by seed.

Hakakeke, flax

Scientific Name: Phormium Tenax
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 2m
Habitat and Special Features: Excellent nectar source, wetland/moist soil species.

Hinau

Scientific Name: Elaeocarpus Dentatus var. Dentatus
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 20m
Habitat and Special Features: Tall forest tree but slow growing. Very important native forest fruit species.

Kaikomako

Scientific Name: Pennantia Corymbosa
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 8m
Habitat and Special Features: Likes fertile soils.

Kakabeak

Scientific Name: Clianthus Maximus
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 2m
Habitat and Special Features: Nationally threatened. Full light required. Best on steep banks and garden sites.

Kamahi

Scientific Name: Weinmannia Racemosa
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 25m
Habitat and Special Features: Tall forest tree but slow growing.

Karamu

Scientific Name: Coprosma Robusta
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 3m
Habitat and Special Features: Has abundant red fruits favoured by birds.

Kohuhu

Scientific Name: Pittosporum Tenuifolium
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 10m
Habitat and Special Features: Good Mistletoe and Dactylanthus host.

Kotukutuku, tree fuchsia

Scientific Name: Fuchsia Excorticata
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Associated with forest, gully and humid sites. Excellent nectar and fruit source.

Kumarahou

Scientific Name: Pomaderris Kumeraho
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 2m
Habitat and Special Features: Likes poor soils. Will perform best on steep banks and raw pumice soils.

Lancewood

Scientific Name: Pseudopanax Crassifolius
Native or Introduced: Native
Height:6m
Habitat and Special Features: Frost-tolerant, has juvenile and adult growth forms.

Mahoe

Scientific Name: Melicytus Ramiflorus
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 15m
Habitat and Special Features: Abundant regeneration already occurring beneath wood-lots.

Mahoe-wao

Scientific Name: Melicytus Lanceolatus
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Good for frosty sites.

Manuka

Scientific Name: Leptospermum Scoparium var. Scoparium
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 5m
Habitat and Special Features: Ecotone and wetland margin species.

Marri

Scientific Name: Corymbia Calophylla
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 40m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required. Frost-sensitive when young.

Matai

Scientific Name: Prumnopitys Taxifolia
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 25m
Habitat and Special Features: Slow-growing and long-lived. Very important native forest fruit species.

MIRO

Scientific Name: Prumnopitys Ferruginea
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 25m
Habitat and Special Features: Slow-growing and long-lived. Very important native forest fruit species.

Mountain white gum

Scientific Name: Eucalyptus Dalrympleana
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 40m
Habitat and Special Features: Large tree. Full light required. Frost-tolerant.

Mugga

Scientific Name: Eucalyptus Sideroxylon “Rosea”
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 20m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required. Small tree.

North Island kowhai

Scientific Name: Sophora Tetraptera
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 12m
Habitat and Special Features: Local species. Good on steep banks and mass planted. Early flowering.

Papa kowhai

Scientific Name: Sophora Godleyi
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 12m
Habitat and Special Features: Taihape-Whanganui species. Late flowering.

Pigeonwood

Scientific Name: Hedycarya Arborea
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Sub-canopy forest small tree. Excellent summer fruit source.

Puawhananga, clematis

Scientific Name: Clematis Paniculata, C. Forsteri, C. Foetida
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Flowers liked by kereru.

Putaputawetao

Scientific Name: Carpodetus Serratus
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 5m
Habitat and Special Features: Forest species. Good Mistletoe and Dactylanthus host.

Red flowering gum

Scientific Name: Corymbia Ficifolia
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 12m
Habitat and Special Features: Large red flowers.  Frost-sensitive. Suitable to plant near Lake Taupo.

Red flowering yellow gum

Scientific Name: Eucalyptus Leucoxylon “Rosea”
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 16m
Habitat and Special Features: Excellent nectar source. Medium sized tree.

Red hot pokers

Scientific Name: Kniphofia Uvaria
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 1m
Habitat and Special Features: Sheltered sites required. Small garden plant which flowers over an extended season if dead-headed.

Red mapou

Scientific Name: Myrsine Australis
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 8m
Habitat and Special Features: Small fruit favoured by birds.

Rewarewa

Scientific Name: Knightia Excelsa
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 25m
Habitat and Special Features: Frost-sensitive when young. Dislikes phosphate fertilisers. Excellent nectar source.

River red gum  

Scientific Name: Eucalyptus Camaldulensis
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 20m
Habitat and Special Features: Large tree. Full light required. Fertile areas.

Shrub grevillias

Scientific Name: Grevillia species and hybrids
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 1.5m
Habitat and Special Features: Excellent nectar source and hedging species.

Small leaved kowhai

Scientific Name: Sophora Microphylla
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 12m
Habitat and Special Features: Tolerant of frosty sites—often deciduous. Mid to late flowering species.

Snow gum

Scientific Name: Eucalyptus Pauciflora
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 15m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required.

Swamp mingimingi

Scientific Name: Coprosma Propinqua and C. Tenuicaulis
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 3m
Habitat and Special Features: Swamp and ecotone species.

Tarata

Scientific Name: Pittosporum Eugenioides
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 12m
Habitat and Special Features: Good Mistletoe and Dactylanthus host.

Tasmanian snow gum  

Scientific Name: Eucalyptus Coccifera
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 15m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required.

Toro

Scientific Name: Myrsine Salicina
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 10m
Habitat and Special Features: Understory species.

Totara

Scientific Name: Podocarpus Totara
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 30m
Habitat and Special Features: Slow-growing and long-lived. Very important native forest fruit species..

Tree lucerne

Scientific Name: Chamaecytisus Palmensis
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Good nurse crop especially on raw pumice soils where other species struggle, but short lived.

Victorian waratah

Scientific Name: Telopea Oreades
Native or Introduced: Introduced
Height:6m
Habitat and Special Features: Full light required. Dislikes phosphate fertilisers. Excellent nectar source.

Wharariki, cliff flax

Scientific Name: Phormium Cookianum
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 1m
Habitat and Special Features: Best on steep banks and garden sites. Excellent nectar source.

White mistletoe

Scientific Name: Tupeia Antarctica
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 1m
Habitat and Special Features: Threatened species which grows on other trees. Good fruit source for birds. Needs to be grown by seed.

Wineberry

Scientific Name: Aristotelia Serrata
Native or Introduced: Native
Height: 6m
Habitat and Special Features: Short-lived quick-growing understory species. Good nectar species.