Plants
With a huge array of native flora in the area – it’s always interesting to know a little more.
We have some great information for you to delve into here!
Further down this page you will find a comprehensive table of plants sighted in the Tawa Bush reserves over time and just below we also have a growing (pardon the pun) carousel of informative articles. Lets help you get know more about our Tawa treasures.
All this is kindly supplied by botanist and author Gil Roper.
Posts about our native plants in Tawa
TAWA NATIVE BUSH RESERVES – PLANTS
| Māori or Common Name | Bagnall 1981 | Atkinson 1972 | Gabites and Bagnall 1975 | Mitcalfe and Horne 1999 | Wellington Botanical Society 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GYMNOSPERMS | ||||||
| Dacrycarpus dacrydioides | kahikatea | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Dacrydium cupressinum | rimu | ✓ | ||||
| Podocarpus totara var. totara | tōtara | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Prumnopitys ferruginea | miro | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Prumnopitys taxifolia | mataī | ✓ | ||||
| MONOCOTYLEDON TREES | ||||||
| Cordyline australis | tī kōuka, cabbage tree | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Rhopalostylus sapida | nīkau | ✓ | ||||
| DICOTYLEDON TREES AND SHRUBS | ||||||
| Alectryon excelsus | tītoki | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Aristotelia serrata | makomako, wineberry | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beilschmiedia tawa | tawa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brachyglottis repanda | rangiora | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Carpodetus serratus | putaputawētā, marbleleaf | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Coprosma areolata | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Coprosma grandifolia (autumnalis) | kanono | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coprosma lucida | karamū | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Coprosma propinqua var. propinqua | mingimingi | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Coprosma propinqua x C robusta | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Coprosma repens | taupata | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Coprosma rhamnoides | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Coprosma robusta | karamū | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Corynocarpus laevigatus* | karaka | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Dysoxylum spectabile | kohekohe | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Elaeocarpis dentatus var. dentatus | hīnau | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Fuchsia excorticata | kōtukutuku, tree fuchsia | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geniostoma ligustrifolium var. ligustrifolium | hangehange | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Griselinia lucida | puka | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Hedycarya arborea | porokaiwhiri, pigeonwood | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Hoheria populnea* | houhere, lacebark | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Hoheria sexystylosa+ | ||||||
| Knightia excelsa | rewarewa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kunzea robusta | kānuka | ✓ | ||||
| Laurelia novae-zelandiae | pukatea | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lophomyrtus bullata | ramarama | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Melicytus ramiflorus subsp. ramiflorus | māhoe, whiteywood | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Myrsine australis | māpou, red matipo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Olearia rani | heketara | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pennantia corymbosa | kaikōmako | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Piper excelsum subsp. excelsum | kawakawa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pittosporum eugenioides | tarata, lemonwood | ✓ | ||||
| Pittosporum tenuifolium | kōhūhū | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Pseudopanax arboreus | whauwhaupaku, five finger | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pseudopanax crassifolius | horoeka, lancewood | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Schefflera digitata | pate, false five finger | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Solanum aviculare | poroporo | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Solanum laciniatum | poroporo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Streblus heterophyllus | tūrepo, small-leaved milk tree | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Syzygium maire | maire, tawake | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Veronica stricta | koromiko | ✓ | ||||
| MONOCOTYLEDON LIANES | ||||||
| Freycinetia banksii | kiekie | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Ripogonum scandens | kareao, supplejack | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DICOTYLEDON LIANES | ||||||
| Clematis paniculata | puawānanga | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Metrosideros diffusa | climbing rātā | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Metrosideros fulgens | scarlet rātā | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Metrosideros perforata | clinging rātā | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Muehlenbeckia australis | pōhuehue | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Muehlenbeckia complexa | pōhuehue | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Parsonsia heterophylla | akakaikiore | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Passiflora tetrandra | kōhia | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rubus cissoides | tātarāmoa, bushlawyer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| LYCOPODS | ||||||
| Nil | ||||||
| FERNS | ||||||
| Asplenium bulbiferum | manamana (hen and chicken) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Asplenium bulbiferum x A. hookerianum | ✓ | |||||
| Asplenium flaccidum | mawake o Raukatauri, hanging spleenwort | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Asplenium hookerianum | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Asplenium oblongifolium | shining spleenwort | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Asplenium polyodon | petako, sickle spleenwort | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blechnum chambersii | nini, rereti | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blechnum discolor | crown fern | ✓ | ||||
| Blechnum filiforme | pānako, thread fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blechnum fluviatile | kiwakiwa | ✓ | ||||
| Blechnum membranaceum | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Blechnum novae-zelandiae | kiokio | ✓ | ||||
| Blechnum procerum | ✓ | |||||
| Botrychium australe | pātōtara, parsley fern | ✓ | ||||
| Botrychium biforme | fine-leaved parsley fern | ✓ | ||||
| Cobaea scandens | ✓ | |||||
| Cyathea dealbata | ponga, silver fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cyathea medullaris | mamaku, black tree fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cyathea smithii | kātote, soft tree fern | ✓ | ||||
| Dicksonia squarrosa | whekī | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Histiopteris incisa | mātātā, water fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Hymenophyllum demissum | irirangi, filmy fern | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Hymenophyllum sanguinolentum | piripiri, filmy fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Hypolepis ambigua | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Lastreopsis microsora subsp. pentangularis | ✓ | |||||
| Lastreopsis glabella | smooth shield fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lastreopsis hispida | hairy fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lastreopsis velutina | velvet fern | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Leptopteris hymenophylloides | heruheru, single crepe fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Microsorum pustulatum subsp. pustulatum | kōwaowao, hounds tongue | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Microsorum scandens | mokimoki, fragrant fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Paesia scaberula | matata, ringfern | ✓ | ||||
| Pellaea rotundifolia | tarawera, round-leaved fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pneumatopteris pennigera | pākau, gully fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Polystichum neozelandicum subsp. zerophyllum | ✓ | |||||
| Polystichum richardii | pikopiko, shield fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pteridium esculentum | rārahu, bracken | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pteris macilenta | sweet fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pteris tremula | shaking, or tender brake | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Pyrrosia eleagnifolia | ota, leatherleaf fern | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rumohra adiantiformis | leathery shield fern | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| ORCHIDS | ||||||
| Corybas trilobus | spider orchid | ✓ | ||||
| Microtis unifolia | māikaika, onion-leaved orchid | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Pterostylis banksii | tutukiwi, greenhood | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Pterostylis graminea | tutukiwi, greenhood | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Thelymitra longifolia | maikuku, sun orchid | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| GRASSES | ||||||
| Microlaena polynoda | bamboo grass | ✓ | ||||
| Microlaena stipoides | pātītī, meadow rice grass | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Rytidosperma gracile | dainty bristle grass | ✓ | ||||
| SEDGES | ||||||
| Carex banksiana | fine-leaved ‘bastard’ grass | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Carex dissita | forest sedge | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Carex forsteri | Forster’s sedge | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Carex uncinata | kamu, hooked sedge | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Isolepis prolifer | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Schoenus maschalinus | dwarf bog rush | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| RUSHES | ||||||
| Juncus pallidus | giant rush | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Juncus sarophorus | wī | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| MONOCOT HERBS OTHER THAN ORCHIDS, SEDGES, RUSHES | ||||||
| Astelia fragrans | kakaha | ✓ | ||||
| Astelia hastata | tank lily | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Astelia solandri | kōwharawhara | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Phormium cookianum | wharariki, coastal/mountain flax | ✓ | ||||
| DICOTYLEDON HERBS | ||||||
| Cardamine debilis agg. | NZ bitter cress | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Hydrocotyle moschata | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Hyrocotyle novae-zeelandiae | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Ranunculus reflexus | maruru, buttercup | ✓ | ||||
| Senecio glomeratus subsp. glomeratus | ✓ | |||||
| Senecio hispidulus | ✓ | |||||
| Stellaria parviflora | NZ chickweed | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Urtica ferox | ongaonga, tree nettle | ✓ |
Notes:
- The listed plants are from all the reserves but not necessarily located in each of the Tawa Native Bush Reserves.
- The two plants designated with an asterisk * are not naturally occurring in the Wellington Ecological District 39.01.
- +Personal communication with Anita Benbrook, Wellington City Council, 2016.
SOURCE OF LIST:
Roper Gilbert, 2017: Tawa the tree, the community and its reserves pp 157-163. Tawa Historical Society.
