100% Pure New Zealand Garden:
Key Plants

Xanthe White’s design for The 100% Pure New Zealand Garden at the 2006 Chelsea Flower Show incorporates indigenous coastal plants unique to Auckland’s rugged west coast, architectural foliage plants and rare species never before seen in the UK. More than 1500 plants will be shipped from New Zealand to London specifically for the event, with hundreds more sourced from specialist nurseries in Europe. Notable species include:

Kauri (Agathis australis)

The majestic Kauri tree is the only member of this coniferous genus that is endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 60m tall with an impressive trunk girth of up to 16m. These ancient trees can live for up to 2000 years and New Zealand’s largest kauri, Tane Mahuta in Northland, is appropriately named after the Maori God of the Forest.

Of the 1.2 million hectares of native kauri forest, only 80,000 hectares now remain. All mature kauri trees, whether in the wild or on private land, are now protected by conservation legislation in New Zealand.

Kowharawhara (Astelia banksii)

There are 13 species of Kowharawhara found only in New Zealand. The coastal species, Astelia banksii, grows up to 2m tall with silver-green, strappy leaves. It grows on rocks and banks as an epiphyte and has greenish flowers followed by purple fruit, which were traditionally eaten by Maori.

Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa)

New Zealand’s most iconic flowering tree, the native pohutukawa will feature on the 100% Pure New Zealand Garden.

Gnarled specimens cling to the cliffs around the north of the North Island, casting a canopy of welcome shade over many of New Zealand’s most picturesque beaches. The undersides of the leathery grey-green leaves are dusted with felty white tomentum - but it is the species’ spectacular blooming habit that endears it to tourists and locals alike. Mature trees erupt in a blaze of crimson bottlebrush-like flowers each December, hence their common name: the New Zealand Christmas tree. Metrosideros excelsa has nectar-rich red flowers that attract native tui and bellbirds.

Toothed lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox)

For sheer novelty value, the toothed lancewood will take some beating at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. This highly unusual native tree suffers a mid-life identity crisis, when it metamorphosises from its distinctive juvenile phase into a rather sedate adult. As a juvenile it has a slender central stem punctuated with stiff, downward-facing leaves of bronze and chocolate-brown, giving it a dramatic prehistoric appearance.

Nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida)

The world’s most southerly-growing palm will make an appearance on The 100% Pure New Zealand Garden at Chelsea this year.

The New Zealand Nikau is a statuesque palm with a slender trunk and deep green upright fronds. It grows up to 10m tall in the wild and eventually produces drooping clusters of pale purple flowers followed by bright red berries. The berries take up to twelve months to ripen. This palm grows naturally in lowland forests throughout the North Island, and in northern parts of the South Island.

Maori traditionally used Nikau fronds for weaving food baskets and thatching houses. The pith, or central core, of the tree is edible and the sap was valued for relieving labour pains during childbirth.

Shrubby tororaro (Muehlenbeckia astonii)

A horticultural oddity, Muehlenbeckia astonii has tiny round green leaves dotted along zigzagging brown stems that give this shrub a slightly dishevelled appearance even when clipped into a neat hedge or topiary. It grows up to 2.5m tall and, although hardy enough to withstand dry coastal conditions, it has a habit of shedding its leaves during cool winters. The Maori name tororaro applies to all five native species of Muehlenbeckia and it is sometimes also known as "wiggy-wig" bush because of its unusual growth habit. Its survival in the wild is threatened by a lack of regeneration due to competition from exotic grasses, browsing animals and trampling.

Coprosma propinqua

New Zealand boasts 45 species of coprosma, from the shiny-leafed mirror plant (Coprosma repens) that stands firm even in exposed coastal situations to the divaricating sand dune coprosma (Coprosma acerosa) that forms a low spongy carpet of tangled stems. Coprosma propinqua is another divaricating species that grows up to 4m tall, with tiny oval leaves not dissimilar to culinary rosemary. It bears translucent blue berries along its stems and is a versatile groundcover for hot, dry climates.

Libertia 'Taupo Blaze'

This striking variety of Libertia arose out of breeding work by Taupo Native Plant Nursery. The difference between this and other Libertia species is the red colour of the foliage. The most well known species of New Zealand iris is Libertia peregrinans, which is already extensively grown for the orange colour of its foliage. White flowers are often borne in great quantity through the foliage of this genus. Many Libertia specimens hail from rugged situations in nature, especially coastal areas, making them tough plants for cultivation.

Cyathea medullaris

The mamaku is the largest of New Zealand's tree ferns, and is a common sight towering through the canopy of northern forests. It has very long, graceful fronds borne on a black trunk. The colour of the trunk provides the tree with one of its common names, black mamaku. Cyathea medullaris favours damper areas, but can withstand a variety of conditions. In cultivation it requires moist conditions at the beginning of its life, and a warm climate. The fronds of the young plant are edible, as with many fern species. The traditional use of young fern fronds as food by Maori has been recently taken up by innovative New Zealand chefs who use them in salads.

Apodasmia similis

Oioi, or jointed wire rush, is more commonly known as Leptocarpus similis. It grows in salt marshes and other wetland areas, where it occupies large areas in pure stands. It has become popular in New Zealand landscaping over recent years, due to the striking form of its reed-like leaves. It is not a reed, or a rush, but a restiad, a member of an interesting family of plants (the Restionaceae) that is predominantly found in South Africa's Cape Province.

Saltbush (Atriplex cinerea)

The friendly rivalry between Australia and New Zealand extends beyond the sports fields to the garden centres: although this dense spreading shrub with silvery-grey foliage is considered a New Zealand native, it’s believed to have originated on the other side of the Tasman sea. It is found in northern coastal areas and along the Waimea Inlet in nelson, at the top of the South Island.