Flora of the North Island

Forest Plants

Podocarpus totara (Totara)

Pouakani Forest Torara Reserve

Totara is one of the most iconic of New Zealand trees, growing to 30m tall with a massive trunk and living for many, many centuries.

As a species, it is distinguished by its rather sharply-pointed leaves and thick, pale bark with deep vertical fissures.

Totara can be found across New Zealand's North and South Islands in forests up to subalpine altitudes.

Cyathea dealbata (Silver Fern)

Pureora Forest

One of the emblems of New Zealand, this impressive tree fern is named for the silver undersides to the fronds.

Knightia excelsa (Rewarewa)

fallen flower spike

juvenile plant on forest floor, Pureora Forest

One of only two Proteaceae species native to New Zealand, Rewarewa is a tall tree found mainly in the North Island, with a range just extending as far as Marlborough on the South Island.

Rewarewa can be identified by its narrow, sharply-toothed leaves and impressive, bright red flowers, known coloquially as New Zealand Honeysuckle, due to their high nectar content.

Hymenophyllum dilatata

Pureora Forest

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Hymenophyllum rarum

Pureora Forest

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Trichomanes endlicherianum

Pureora Forest

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Alpine Plants

Hebe tetragona

Mt Tongariro

This North Island endemic is one of the special plants of Mt Tongariro. As its name suggests, the 4-angled stems are a characteristic feature. In other features, it is similar to the South Island H.hectorii.

Hebe venustula

Mt Tongariro

This fairly large Hebe (over 1m tall) is endemic to the volcanic mountains of the North Island. Its distinctive characters are the pointed leaves with bevelled margins and lateral flower heads.

Parahebe spathulata

Mt Tongariro

This North Island endemic is restricted the central volcanic mountains, where it grows in rocky habitats. P. spathulata can be recognised by its pale, creeping growth which is densely-hairy and almost sessile white flowering stems.

Parahebe hookeriana

Mt Tongariro

Endemic to the North Island, this very low-growing plant forms creeping mats at high altitudes. It can recognised by its leathery, dright green leaves and flowers which have prominent purple veins radiating from a central violet ring.

Podocarus nivalis (Mountain Totara)

Mt Tongariro

This common alpine conifer is described in the Flora of Arthur's Pass section of the site.

Ourisia macrophylla ssp.robusta

Mt Tongariro

Another North Island alpine endemic, this Ourisia is indeed large-leaved, although no more so than some of the other robust species like O.macrocarpa. Its flowering stem is tall and hairy, at up to 50cm in favoured habitats. Like most other Ourisias, this species enjoys permanently damp and cool habitats, like partially shaded banks.

Ourisia vulcanica

Mt Tongariro

As its scientific name suggests, this species is an endemic of the volcanic plateau in the centre of the North Island. Unusually for an Ourisia, it favours dry habitats.

Luzula banksiana var.migrata

Mt Tongariro

One of nine alpine Luzulas in New Zealand, this species is widespread and can be recognised by its grass-like habit (rather than cushion-like) and clustered flowerheads, which are a rich brown colour. The similar L.crinita has darker flowerheads but does not occur on the North Island.

L.banksiana var.migrata is especially common on th North Island mountains, but also occurs on high ground on the western side of most of the South Island.

Brachyglottis bidwillii

Mt Tongariro

Ths leathery-leaved alpine shrub is widespread in montane New Zealand, on both main islands. The leaves are characteristically pale green above and densely tomentose below. Unlike other Brachyglottis species, the flowers are dull and insignificant, lacking the yellow petals of their cousins.

Phyllachne colensoi & Anisotome aromatica

Mt Tongariro

Phyllachne is described in the Flora of Arthur's Pass section of the site.

Pentachondra pumila

Mt Tongariro

The bright red berries of this small, creeping shrub are a common sight in bogs and herbfields in the low alpine zone. The oliage resembles that of Cyathodes and Leucopogon species, to whom this species is closely related. Pentachondra can be distinguished by the white undersides to the leaves, its furry flowers and dry fruits (even though they look fleshy and juicy).

Gentiana bellidifolia

Mt Tongariro

This species is described in the Flora of Arthur's Pass NP section of the site.

Wahlenbergia pygmaea

Mt Tongariro

This attractive species is the only Wahlenbergia found in the North Island mountains. Two other species (W.albomarginata and W.cartilaginea) are found in the South Island.

W.pygmaea is similar to W.albomarginata, and is distinguished by leaf characters, although the mostly white throat of the flower is distinctive for W.pygmaea. This species occurs in subalpine and low alpine areas in srubby and open, gravelly habitats.

Euphrasia cuneata

Mt Tongariro

There are over a dozen Euphrasias in New Zealand's mountains, but only four are found on the North Island. Of these, E.cuneata is the most widespread. It can be identified by its brown, toothed leaves and asymmetic flowers, where the lower lip is much longer than the upper petals.

Unusually for an alpine plant, it is almost restricted to the North Island, and only occurs in the northeast of the South Island in exclusively coastal areas.

Thelymitra nervosa (Spotted Sun-orchid)

Mt Tongariro

This beautiful orchid is common throughout much of New Zealand. In the North Island, it is mainly montane, unlike most other Thelymitra. It is easy to recognise by its spotted, cupped petals. T.ixioides is similarly-spotted, but has different critical characters inside the flower. Also, it does not ascend to such high altitudes and prefers wetter habitats.

Like other members of the genus, flowers only open in sunshine, hence the common name.

Prasophyllum colensoi (Leek Orchid)

Mt Tongariro

Found throughout New Zealand, this common species can be seen from the lowlands up to alpine elevations. It can be recognised by the green (sometimes brown) flowers with recurved, narrow, pointed petals and sepals and small size (about 20cm or so). It grows in a variety of scrubby and wet habitats.

Forstera tenella (syn. Forstera bidwillii)

Mt Tongariro

The six petals speckled with crimson help to identify this attractive alpine species. The genus Forstera was recently revised (2010) by David Glenny and two new species were defined, but F.tenella remains the only species on the North Island.