Introduction
Overview
New Zealand native flowering plants display a remarkable diversity of forms, colours, and ecological strategies. From the iconic kōwhai (Sophora spp.) with its bright yellow blooms to the vibrant red flowers of the pōhutukawa ( Metrosideros excelsa ), these plants provide essential food for native birds and insects. Many species, such as Clianthus maximus (Kākābeak) and Veronica salicifolia (Koromiko) (Hebe salicifolia is a synonym of Veronica salicifolia), are popular in gardens for their ornamental value and ability to attract pollinators. Native flowering plants are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting biodiversity.
About New Zealand's Native Flowers
New Zealand's native flowering plants offer unique colours and forms that have evolved in isolation. While often more subtle than exotic garden varieties, our native flowers have special adaptations to local conditions and provide essential food for native birds, bees, and other pollinators. Alpine specialists like NZ Plantain showcase remarkable evolutionary adaptations to high-altitude environments, while spectacular bloomers like Mountain Buttercup create brilliant golden carpets of colour across New Zealand's high country. Adding native flowering plants to your garden helps support local ecosystems.
Explore Our Native Flowering Plants
Gentianella impressinervia
Gentianella impressinervia
Gentianella impressinervia is a robust alpine gentian endemic to the South Island, found in north-west Nelson, North Westland and Canterbury.
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Gentianella lineata
Gentianella lineata
Gentianella lineata is one of the smallest New Zealand gentians, a perennial herb only 30 to 180 mm tall when flowering.
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Gentianella patula
Gentianella patula
Gentianella patula is a spreading South Island gentian that can carry dozens, and occasionally over a hundred, white flowers on many stems.
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Gentianella saxosa
Gentianella saxosa
Gentianella saxosa is a low coastal gentian of the far south, growing on rock outcrops, coastal turf and sand dunes in Otago, Southland, Fiordland and Stewart.
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Gentianella serotina
Gentianella serotina
Gentianella serotina is a late-flowering perennial gentian of South Island tussock grassland, blooming from February to April when most alpine flowers are over.
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Gentianella tenuifolia
Gentianella tenuifolia
Gentianella tenuifolia is one of the taller New Zealand gentians, a biennial that grows 230 to 530 mm high in flower from a rosette of narrow leaves and then dies after.
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Gentianella vernicosa
Gentianella vernicosa
Gentianella vernicosa is an endemic New Zealand gentian of the northern South Island mountains, named for its glossy, varnished-looking leaves.
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Gratiola pedunculata
Gratiola pedunculata
Gratiola pedunculata is an erect, sparingly branched perennial herb of shallow lake margins, growing up to 45 cm tall.
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Gratiola sexdentata
Gratiola sexdentata
Gratiola sexdentata is a small, endemic semi-aquatic herb that forms patches up to about 30 cm across and tall on the muddy margins of lakes, ponds, tarns and rivers.
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Pterostylis areolata
Pterostylis areolata
Pterostylis areolata is an endemic New Zealand greenhood orchid that grows mainly in the South Island, east of the main divide, with outliers in Nelson and Fiordland and.
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Pterostylis cardiostigma
Pterostylis cardiostigma
Pterostylis cardiostigma is a stout endemic greenhood orchid of the North and South Islands, growing up to 40 cm tall from a heart-shaped tuber.
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Pterostylis humilis
Pterostylis humilis
Pterostylis humilis is a dwarf greenhood orchid endemic to New Zealand, only 4.5-15 cm tall when flowering.
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Pterostylis irsoniana
Pterostylis irsoniana
Pterostylis irsoniana is an endemic New Zealand greenhood orchid, 25-35 cm tall, found from East Cape to Wellington in the North Island and along the western South.
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Senecio banksii
Senecio banksii
Senecio banksii is a perennial daisy endemic to the North Island, growing up to 1.5 m tall with toothed leaves that clasp the stem and terminal clusters of up to 40.
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Senecio carnosulus
Senecio carnosulus
Senecio carnosulus is a fleshy, yellow-flowered coastal daisy endemic to the southern South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura.
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Senecio glaucophyllus
Senecio glaucophyllus
Senecio glaucophyllus is a rare endemic groundsel restricted to limestone, marble and dolomite rock in North-west Nelson, from Mt Burnett in the Whakamarama Range to the.
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Senecio marotiri
Senecio marotiri
Senecio marotiri is a slender, erect annual or short-lived perennial daisy, usually 20 to 50 cm tall, found on offshore islands of northern New Zealand from the Bay of.
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Senecio matatini subsp. discoideus
Senecio matatini
Senecio matatini subsp. discoideus , long known as Senecio glaucophyllus subsp. discoideus , is an endemic perennial groundsel of New Zealand's eastern mountains.
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Senecio repangae
Senecio repangae
Senecio repangae , formerly Senecio repangae subsp. repangae , is an endemic groundsel of north-eastern North Island offshore islands, from Wakatehāua Island to Cuvier.
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Senecio rufiglandulosus
Senecio rufiglandulosus
Senecio rufiglandulosus is an endemic perennial groundsel of the North and South Islands, ranging from the Waitakere Ranges south to about Hokitika and Canterbury.
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Prasophyllum colensoi
Prasophyllum colensoi
Leek orchid ( Prasophyllum colensoi ) is a small endemic ground orchid that grows to about 30 cm tall from an underground tuber.
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Lignocarpa carnosula
Lignocarpa carnosula
Lignocarpa carnosula is a small, fleshy alpine herb in the carrot family (Apiaceae) that grows on rocks and scree in the mountains of the South Island.
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Lignocarpa diversifolia
Lignocarpa diversifolia
Lignocarpa diversifolia is a small, fleshy, grey alpine herb in the carrot family that grows on screes of fine sediment in the mountains of the northern South Island.
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Celmisia densiflora
Celmisia densiflora
Celmisia densiflora is a tufted mountain daisy endemic to the South Island, found from southern Marlborough and North Canterbury south to northern Southland.
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Celmisia dubia
Celmisia dubia
Celmisia dubia is a mountain daisy endemic to North-West Nelson and the northern West Coast of the South Island, from Boulder Lake and Gouland Downs south to Westport.
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Celmisia graminifolia
Celmisia graminifolia
Celmisia graminifolia is a grassy-leaved daisy endemic, as currently understood, to Mount Manaia, Bream Head and nearby high points at Whangārei Heads in Northland.
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Celmisia rigida
Celmisia rigida
Celmisia rigida is a robust mountain daisy that, unusually for its genus, grows mostly on the coast.
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Celmisia rutlandii
Celmisia rutlandii
Celmisia rutlandii is a mountain daisy of the northern South Island, found on Mt Stokes above the Marlborough Sounds and in the Richmond Range and Wairau mountains.
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Celmisia traversii
Celmisia traversii
Celmisia traversii , one of the plants called mountain daisy, is a large celmisia endemic to the South Island of New Zealand.
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Gingidia decipiens
Gingidia decipiens
Gingidia decipiens is an endemic perennial herb in the carrot family that forms compact tufts up to about 20 cm wide, with once-pinnate, slightly fleshy leaves that.
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Picris burbidgeae
Picris burbidgeae
Picris burbidgeae is a native, yellow-flowered member of the daisy family that grows as a short-lived annual to perennial herb 0.5 to 2 m tall.
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Pachycladon latisiliquum
Pachycladon latisiliquum
Pachycladon latisiliquum is an endemic perennial herb in the cabbage family (Brassicaceae).
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Pachycladon novae zelandiae
Pachycladon novae
Pachycladon novae-zelandiae is a small endemic alpine herb in the cabbage family, found on subalpine fellfield and schist debris slopes in the southern South Island.
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Pachycladon wallii
Pachycladon wallii
Pachycladon wallii is a rare endemic alpine herb in the cabbage family, found on shaded ledges and crevices of south-facing schist cliffs in the mountains of northern.
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Plantago aucklandica
Plantago aucklandica
Plantago aucklandica is a robust rosette-forming plantain endemic to the subantarctic Auckland Islands, where it grows only at higher elevations on Auckland, Adams and.
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Pleurophyllum criniferum
Pleurophyllum criniferum
Pleurophyllum criniferum is one of the celebrated megaherbs of New Zealand's subantarctic islands: a giant perennial daisy whose ribbed leaves can exceed 1 m in length.
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Montigena novae zelandiae
Montigena novae
Scree pea ( Montigena novae-zelandiae ) is a small, woody-based legume found only on the South Island, east of the Southern Alps.
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Sebaea ovata
Sebaea ovata
Sebaea ( Sebaea ovata ) is a small annual herb in the gentian family, 5-30 cm tall, with square stems, fleshy blue-green leaves in opposite pairs and clusters of pale.
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Aciphylla crosby-smithii
Aciphylla crosby-smithii
Aciphylla crosby-smithii is a small, cushion-forming speargrass endemic to the mountains of southern Fiordland.
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Aciphylla dissecta
Aciphylla dissecta
Aciphylla dissecta is a compact speargrass found only in the Tararua Range of the southern North Island.
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Aciphylla divisa
Aciphylla divisa
Aciphylla divisa is a golden, spiky speargrass of the South Island mountains, found from central Canterbury southwards along the Southern Alps and especially common in.
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Aciphylla hectorii
Aciphylla hectorii
Aciphylla hectorii is a small, tufted speargrass endemic to the South Island, reaching only about 25 cm tall including its flower stems.
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Aciphylla hookeri
Aciphylla hookeri
Aciphylla hookeri is a small, sparse-leaved speargrass endemic to the South Island.
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Aciphylla indurata
Aciphylla indurata
Aciphylla indurata is a little-known speargrass from the mountains of south-west Nelson and Westland in the South Island, recorded between about 900 and 1300 m.
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Aciphylla kirkii
Aciphylla kirkii
Aciphylla kirkii is a small, rigid speargrass endemic to the mountains of central and western Otago, east of the Southern Alps.
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Aciphylla lecomtei
Aciphylla lecomtei
Aciphylla lecomtei is a speargrass found only on The Remarkables, the Hector Mountains and the Garvie Mountains in the southern South Island.
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Aciphylla lyallii
Aciphylla lyallii
Aciphylla lyallii is a sparse-leaved speargrass of the wetter South Island mountains, most common in Fiordland and absent from Nelson.
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Aciphylla multisecta
Aciphylla multisecta
Aciphylla multisecta is a small speargrass with unusually finely cut leaves, as its name, meaning many divisions, suggests.
Learn moreGrowing Native Flowers in Your Garden
Tips for Success with Native Flowers
Native flowering plants can add colour and interest to your garden while providing food for native birds and insects. Most prefer well-draining soil and a sunny position, though some forest species will appreciate partial shade. Consider the natural habitat of each species when planning your garden.