Introduction
Overview
New Zealand native grasses are key components of natural and restored ecosystems, providing food and shelter for wildlife, stabilizing soil, and withstanding harsh conditions. Iconic species include Chionochloa rubra (Red Tussock), Austroderia toetoe (Toetoe), and Ficinia spiralis (Pāngao). These grasses are adapted to a range of environments, from alpine meadows to coastal dunes. They are valued in landscaping for their movement, texture, and ability to thrive with minimal maintenance, supporting biodiversity and erosion control. Essential species like Hard Tussock form the backbone of Canterbury and Otago's grasslands, while versatile grasses like Silver Tussock adapt from coastal cliffs to subalpine areas with their distinctive silvery coloration.
New Zealand's native grasses and grass-like plants include a diverse range of species from towering toetoe to compact sedges. These versatile plants add texture, movement, and year-round interest to gardens while providing important ecological functions. Many are drought-tolerant and low-maintenance once established, making them excellent choices for sustainable landscaping.
Campbell Island Poa
Poa aucklandica
Campbell Island poa (Poa aucklandica subsp. campbellensis) is a tiny tufted grass with stiff, inrolled leaves just 2 to 5 cm long and close-packed flowering stems.
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Grassland Sedge
Carex breviculmis
Grassland sedge (Carex breviculmis) is a low, tufted sedge that forms bright green patches of fine, grass-like, recurved leaves, with its short flowering stems, usually.
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Desert Sedge
Carex resectans
Desert sedge ( Carex resectans ) is a tiny, creeping sedge endemic to New Zealand.
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Carse's Sedge
Carex carsei
Carse's sedge (Carex carsei) is an endemic New Zealand sedge that spreads by far-reaching rhizomes to form continuous, grassy, yellow-green swards, usually 7 to 15 cm.
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Chatham Islands Poa
Poa chathamica
Chatham Islands poa ( Poa chathamica ), also called bog poa, is a perennial grass found nowhere else but the Chatham Islands, where it grows on all the main islands.
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Chatham Islands Salt Grass
Puccinellia chathamica
Chatham Islands salt grass ( Puccinellia chathamica ) is an endemic coastal grass found on the Chatham Islands and the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands.
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Cheeseman's Imperata
Imperata cheesemanii
Cheeseman's imperata (Imperata cheesemanii) is a rhizomatous grass found naturally only on Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand's subtropical northern.
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Pungent Snow Tussock
Chionochloa crassiuscula
Pungent snow tussock (Chionochloa crassiuscula subsp. crassiuscula) is a short, stout tussock grass found only on Stewart Island/Rakiura.
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Slim Snow Tussock
Chionochloa macra
Slim snow tussock ( Chionochloa macra ) is a medium-sized snow tussock grass endemic to the South Island, east of the Main Divide from southern Marlborough to Southland.
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Squat Snow Tussock
Chionochloa ovata
Squat snow tussock ( Chionochloa ovata ), also called Fiordland snow tussock, is a small, sparsely tufted snow tussock found only in Fiordland.
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Colenso's Sedge
Carex colensoi
Colenso's sedge (Carex colensoi) is a slender, endemic New Zealand sedge that spreads by a long-creeping rhizome, sending up light green, drooping stems 40 to 450 mm.
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Serpentinite Fescue
Festuca ultramafica
Serpentinite fescue ( Festuca ultramafica ) is a tufted, shortly rhizomatous grass endemic to the Nelson region of the South Island.
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Forster's Sedge
Carex forsteri
Forster's sedge ( Carex forsteri ) is a large, leafy tufted sedge endemic to New Zealand.
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Horse's Mane Weed
Ruppia polycarpa
Horse's mane weed ( Ruppia polycarpa ), also called lakeweed, is a native submerged aquatic plant of brackish and fresh water.
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Kermadec Islands Poa
Poa polyphylla
Kermadec Islands poa ( Poa polyphylla ) is a loosely tufted, creeping grass found naturally only on Raoul and Macauley Islands in the subtropical Kermadec group.
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Kirk's Poa
Poa kirkii
Kirk's poa (Poa kirkii) is a slender, tufted perennial grass endemic to New Zealand, usually 20 to 50 cm tall with brownish green leaves and reddish purple leaf sheaths.
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Kirk's Sedge
Carex kirkii
Kirk's sedge ( Carex kirkii ) is a small, densely tufted, bright to dark green alpine sedge endemic to the South Island.
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Kāpūngāwhā
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani
Kāpūngāwhā, also called kuawa and lake clubrush ( Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani ), is a tall native sedge that grows in standing fresh or brackish water.
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Kāretu
Anthoxanthum redolens
Kāretu, Anthoxanthum redolens (now Anthoxanthum redolens), is a robust, sweet-scented native grass known in English as holy grass.
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Narrow-Leaved Bush Tussock
Chionochloa cheesemanii
Narrow-leaved bush tussock ( Chionochloa cheesemanii ) is a tall, dark green tussock grass endemic to New Zealand.
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North Cape Sedge
Carex ophiolithica
North Cape sedge (Carex ophiolithica) is a stoutly erect, bright green tufted sedge known only from a 120 hectare zone of serpentinised ultramafic rock on the North Cape.
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Scree Poa
Poa buchananii
Scree poa ( Poa buchananii ) is a small, stiff, blue-grey native grass that forms dense tufts 7 to 25 cm tall on loose alpine ground.
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Avalanche Grass
Poa cockayneana
Avalanche grass ( Poa cockayneana ) is a large, bright green perennial grass endemic to the South Island.
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Desert Poa
Poa maniototo
Desert poa (Poa maniototo) is a tiny, compact, greyish grass endemic to the eastern South Island, forming tufts less than 10 cm tall with densely crowded, stiff.
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Pēpepe
Machaerina sinclairii
Pēpepe or tūhara (Machaerina sinclairii) is a stout, leafy sedge that forms large clumps of broad, glossy, iris-like leaves up to 2.5 m long, topped by drooping.
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Raoul's Sedge
Carex raoulii
Raoul's sedge ( Carex raoulii ), also called coastal forest sedge, is a tufted sedge endemic to New Zealand.
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Red Hills Snow Tussock
Chionochloa defracta
Red Hills snow tussock (Chionochloa defracta) is a snow tussock grass found only on the ultramafic rocks of the Nelson and Marlborough mineral belt, including Dun.
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Bamboo Grass
Microlaena polynoda
Bamboo grass (Microlaena polynoda), also called knot-jointed rice grass, is an unusual endemic grass whose stout, much-branched leafy stems scramble and cascade like.
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Antipodes Saltgrass
Puccinellia antipoda
Antipodes saltgrass (Puccinellia antipoda) is a small tufted grass found nowhere in the world except the subantarctic Antipodes Islands, far to the south-east of the.
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Salt Grass
Puccinellia stricta
Salt grass (Puccinellia stricta) is a native tufted grass of salt marshes and the high-tide line, found from Auckland southwards and on Stewart Island/Rakiura, and also.
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Scrobic
Paspalum orbiculare
Scrobic (Paspalum orbiculare) is a tufted, stiffly erect perennial grass indigenous to the Kermadec Islands and the northern North Island, from Northland to Raglan.
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Short-Hair Plume Grass
Pentapogon inaequiglumis
Short-hair plume grass (Pentapogon inaequiglumis, now Pentapogon inaequiglumis) is a slender, tufted native grass with flowering stems 25 to 70 cm tall carrying lax.
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Square Sedge
Lepidosperma australe
Square sedge ( Lepidosperma australe ), also called square-stemmed sedge, is a stout, rush-like sedge endemic to New Zealand.
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Grassland Wheatgrass
Stenostachys laevis
Grassland wheatgrass ( Stenostachys laevis ) is a small, uncommon grass endemic to New Zealand, in a genus found nowhere else.
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Terete-Leaved Snow Tussock
Chionochloa teretifolia
Terete-leaved snow tussock ( Chionochloa teretifolia ) is a small, sparsely tufted snow tussock endemic to the far south of the South Island.
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Three Kings Sedge
Carex elingamita
Three Kings sedge ( Carex elingamita ) is a leafy, light to dark green tussock sedge endemic to the Three Kings Islands, about 55 km north-west of Cape Reinga.
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Three-Square
Schoenoplectus pungens
Three-square ( Schoenoplectus pungens ) is a rhizomatous sedge of saltmarshes, brackish swamps and estuaries, named for its sharply three-angled stems.
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Travers's Sedge
Carex traversii
Travers's sedge ( Carex traversii ) is a short, densely tufted sedge with striking dark red to purple-red foliage, endemic to eastern Nelson.
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Walker's Saltgrass
Puccinellia walkeri
Walker's saltgrass ( Puccinellia walkeri ) is a tufted, salt-tolerant grass endemic to New Zealand.
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Kauri Sedge
Schoenus tendo
Kauri sedge (Schoenus tendo) is an endemic rush-like sedge of the northern North Island, growing from North Cape to about the southern Waikato, Awakino and the Bay of.
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Gumland Bristle Grass
Rytidosperma biannulare
Gumland bristle grass ( Rytidosperma biannulare ) is a narrow-leaved, green tussock grass with flowering stems up to about 85 cm tall.
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Grassy Mat Sedge
Carex inopinata
Grassy mat sedge ( Carex inopinata ) is a small, dark green, grass-like sedge that spreads by fine rhizomes to form loose mats.
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Kermadec Sedge
Carex kermadecensis
Kermadec sedge ( Carex kermadecensis ) is a robust, tufted sedge that forms light yellow-green to green tussocks, with flowering stems up to about 45 cm tall and leaves.
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Forest Sedge
Carex lambertiana
Forest sedge ( Carex lambertiana ) is a robust, leafy, bright to yellow-green sedge endemic to New Zealand, forming tufts 0.6 to 1 m tall.
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Fiordland Sedge
Carex pleiostachys
Fiordland sedge ( Carex pleiostachys ) is a small tufted sedge endemic to New Zealand and found only along the Fiordland coastline of the South Island.
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Coastal Sedge
Carex spinirostris
Coastal sedge ( Carex spinirostris ), also called petrel scrub sedge, is a tussock-forming sedge endemic to the North Island.
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Slender Wine Sedge
Carex tenuiculmis
Slender wine sedge ( Carex tenuiculmis ) is a tussock sedge endemic to New Zealand, prized for its soft, channelled leaves in shades of red, wine-red or red-green.
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Southern Cutty Grass
Carex ternaria
Southern cutty grass ( Carex ternaria ), also known as rautahi, is a large, robust, rhizomatous sedge endemic to New Zealand's outlying islands: the Chatham, Antipodes.
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