Introduction
Overview
New Zealand's coastal plants are adapted to wind, salt spray, and sandy or rocky soils. These hardy species stabilise shorelines, support coastal wildlife, and add resilient structure and colour to exposed seaside gardens.
Bidibid
Acaena anserinifolia
A widespread New Zealand native groundcover with finely-toothed leaves and spiny burrs. Excellent for erosion control.
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Spineless Bidibidi
Acaena inermis
A unique New Zealand native groundcover, valued for its fine, fern-like foliage and burr-free seeds.
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Small-leaved Bidibidi
Acaena microphylla
A hardy native ground cover renowned for its characteristic reddish burrs and dense mat-forming growth habit.
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Red Bidibidi
Acaena novae-zelandiae
A vigorous, mat-forming ground cover with reddish-brown foliage and distinctive spiny burrs.
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Sand Piripiri
Acaena pallida
A robust coastal groundcover with glossy leaves and distinctive red spines, crucial for stabilizing sand dunes.
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Oioi
Apodasmia similis
Jointed rush of saltmarsh and estuary margins; very tolerant of wind and salt spray, ideal for coastal restoration.
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Wharawhara
Astelia banksii
Wharawhara is a striking coastal native with silvery-grey arching leaves, highly tolerant of wind and salt spray.
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Buchanan's Orache
Atriplex buchananii
A remarkably salt-tolerant native herb with silvery-grey foliage, perfectly adapted to the most exposed coastal turfs and rocky headlands.
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Grey Saltbush
Atriplex cinerea
A rare and resilient silver-grey coastal shrub, exceptionally hardy and capable of thriving in the harshest, most salt-exposed maritime fringes.
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Mānawa
Avicennia marina
Grey mangrove of sheltered estuaries; very tolerant of salt and periodic inundation.
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Sea Celery
Apium prostratum
A versatile native coastal herb with celery-like flavour and a variable growth habit, found in coastal New Zealand and Australia.
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Kermadec Nettle-Tree
Boehmeria australis
A rare and critically endangered native tree from the Kermadec Islands, prized for its lush bicoloured foliage and exceptional coastal resilience.
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Shore Bindweed
Calystegia soldanella
Shore Bindweed is a prostrate coastal plant with fleshy leaves and beautiful pink-and-white striped flowers, common on sandy beaches.
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Mossy Hairgrass
Colobanthus muscoides
Mossy Hairgrass is a unique moss-like cushion plant native to New Zealand's subantarctic islands and rocky coastal zones.
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Lindsay's Mountain Daisy
Celmisia lindsayi
Rare coastal daisy with broad, leathery leaves, thriving on exposed cliffs and rock outcrops.
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Taupata
Coprosma repens
Glossy-leaved coastal shrub with orange berries; excellent for exposed seaside gardens and hedging.
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Shore Stonecrop
Crassula moschata
Mat-forming coastal succulent with star-shaped white flowers; thrives on wave-washed rock platforms and shores.
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New Zealand Iceplant
Disphyma australe
Succulent groundcover with bright purple flowers; thrives on rocky shores and sandy beaches.
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Pīngao
Ficinia spiralis
Golden sand sedge that forms dense tussocks; essential for natural dune stabilization and restoration.
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Grass-leaved Rush
Juncus planifolius
Versatile native rush with flat, grass-like leaves, common in open damp habitats such as dune wetlands and track sides.
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Cook's Scurvy Grass
Lepidium oleraceum
Critically endangered coastal herb with succulent leaves; historically important as vitamin C source for sailors.
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Parviflorus Leucopogon
Leucopogon parviflorus
Parviflorus Leucopogon is a remarkable New Zealand native, valued for its unique form and ecological importance.
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Mudwort
Limosella lineata
Small native herb adapted to muddy coastal pond margins and brackish wetlands, forming low green carpets.
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Bare Twig Rush
Machaerina juncea
Hardy, upright native sedge with blue-green stems, highly tolerant of saline coastal environments and salt marshes.
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Pōhutukawa
Metrosideros excelsa
Iconic coastal tree with brilliant red flowers; forms the backbone of many coastal forests and clifftops.
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Chatham Island Forget-Me-Not
Myosotidium hortensia
Spectacular coastal plant featuring giant glossy leaves and vibrant blue flowers; endemic to the Chatham Islands.
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New Zealand Pellitory
Parietaria debilis
Slender, succulent native herb often found in sheltered coastal niches and nutrient-rich sites near seabird burrows.
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Kawakawa
Piper excelsum
A distinctive native shrub or small tree common in coastal forests, with heart-shaped leaves and jointed stems, valued for its medicinal properties.
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Sand Tussock
Poa billardierei
Vital sand-binding grass of coastal dunes throughout New Zealand.
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Houpara
Pseudopanax lessonii
Endemic to Three Kings Islands with thick, succulent leaves; rare coastal shrub adapted to island conditions.
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Shore Pimpernel
Samolus repens
Small coastal herb with white flowers; found in salt marshes and on damp clifftops near the sea.
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Long-Keel Kōwhai
Sophora longicarinata
A graceful limestone-loving kōwhai from the northern South Island, distinguished by its exceptionally long-keeled yellow flowers and fine, feathery foliage.
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Bentham's Hebe
Veronica benthamii
A stunning blue-flowered hebe endemic to New Zealand's subantarctic islands, featuring distinctive white-edged leaves and vibrant terminal flower spikes.
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Coastal Hebe
Veronica elliptica
A robust and highly salt-tolerant coastal shrub with glossy rounded leaves and large, fragrant white to mauve flower spikes, thriving on windswept clifftops.
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Box-leaf Hebe
Veronica odora
A compact, hardy native shrub with small glossy leaves and short spikes of white flowers, versatile enough for both subalpine and coastal gardens.
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Willow-Leaf Hebe
Veronica salicifolia (synonym)
Willow-Leaf Hebe is a fast-growing evergreen shrub with willow-like leaves and fragrant drooping flower spikes, common along South Island coastlines.
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Napuka
Veronica speciosa
A showy and resilient coastal shrub with glossy leathery leaves and striking magenta flower spikes, historically valued in Māori rituals and widely admired in gardens.
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Koromiko
Veronica stricta
A highly adaptable pioneer shrub commonly found in coastal environments, featuring long pale green leaves and dense spikes of white flowers.
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Spinifex Grass
Spinifex sericeus
Hardy coastal grass with silvery foliage; forms pioneering colonies on mobile sand dunes.
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Dwarf Mingimingi
Styphelia nesophila
Hardy, prickly coastal shrub with small yellow fruits, providing important habitat for native lizards.
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Seagrass
Zostera muelleri
Submerged marine plant forming vital underwater meadows; crucial for coastal ecosystems and carbon sequestration.
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Chatham Island Kakaha
Astelia chathamica
Spectacular evergreen perennial herb endemic to the Chatham Islands, renowned for its large, dramatic clumps of sword-like, silvery-grey foliage.
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Daisy Bush
Brachyglottis greyi
Endemic to Wellington's exposed coastal bluffs, this tough shrub features felty silver-grey leaves with white undersides that reflect sunlight and resist salt spray perfectly.
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Raukūmara
Brachyglottis perdicioides
Extremely rare coastal endemic confined to eastern Wairarapa cliffs, featuring thick succulent leaves and clusters of golden flowers adapted to harsh sea spray.
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Mutton-Bird Scrub
Brachyglottis rotundifolia
Robust evergreen shrub with thick leathery leaves and yellow daisy flowers, found from coastal scrub to treeline on South and Stewart Islands.
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Travers' Daisy Bush
Brachyglottis traversii
Brachyglottis traversii is a robust shrub daisy for coastal and dry, sunny sites. Learn identification, habitat and cultivation.
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Neptune's Necklace
Hormosira banksii
An iconic intertidal seaweed featuring water-filled 'beads' that prevent desiccation. This essential ecosystem engineer creates vital microhabitats for small marine creatures.
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New Zealand Goosefoot
Chenopodium triandrum
This hardy native goosefoot thrives in sandy coastal sites and disturbed ground, producing edible leaves once used by Māori as a traditional spinach substitute.
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