Native Grasses of New Zealand | NZ Native Plants

Toetoe (Austroderia toetoe)

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.

Toetoe (Austroderia toetoe)

Austroderia Sedge

Austroderia toetoe

Iconic native grass known for its tall, graceful plumes that catch the light and create movement in the landscape.

Colenso's Speargrass (Aciphylla colensoi)

Colenso's Speargrass

Aciphylla colensoi

Concise overview of Colenso's Speargrass, a resilient New Zealand native suited to gardens and restoration.

Common Speargrass (Aciphylla squarrosa)

Common Speargrass

Aciphylla squarrosa

Concise overview of Common Speargrass, a resilient New Zealand native suited to gardens and restoration.

Congested Speargrass (Aciphylla congesta)

Congested Speargrass

Aciphylla congesta

Concise overview of Congested Speargrass, a resilient New Zealand native suited to gardens and restoration.

North Island Toetoe (Austroderia fulvida)

North Island Toetoe

Austroderia fulvida

New Zealand's magnificent native tussock grass with golden plumes.

Dieffenbach's Speargrass (Aciphylla dieffenbachii)

Dieffenbach's Speargrass

Aciphylla dieffenbachii

Concise overview of Dieffenbach's Speargrass, a resilient New Zealand native suited to gardens and restoration.

Aciphylla Anomala

Speargrass

Aciphylla anomala

Concise overview of Horrid Speargrass, a resilient New Zealand native suited to gardens and restoration.

Kōwhangatara (Spinifex sericeus)

Kōwhangatara

Spinifex sericeus

is a sand-binding grass vital for stabilizing coastal dunes and protecting shorelines.

Pūrei (Carex secta)

Pūrei

Carex secta

Pūrei is coastal-tolerant with notable shelter value; well suited to New Zealand plantings.

Mountain Flax (Phormium cookianum)

Mountain Flax

Phormium cookianum

A smaller, more graceful flax with arching leaves and distinctive seedpods.

Harakeke (Phormium tenax)

Harakeke

Phormium tenax

New Zealand's iconic flax, traditionally used for weaving and fiber, with striking architectural form.

Raupō (Typha orientalis)

Raupō

Typha orientalis

A tall wetland plant with distinctive brown cylindrical flower spikes and many traditional uses.

Pīngao (Ficinia spiralis)

Pīngao

Ficinia spiralis

Golden sand-binding sedge prized for traditional Māori weaving.

Coastal Tussock (Poa billardierei)

Coastal Tussock

Poa billardierei

A hardy, yellow-green tussock grass ideal for coastal environments and dune stabilization.

Griselinia littoralis

Broadleaf

Griselinia littoralis

Griselinia Littoralis is bird-attracting with notable attractive form; well suited to New Zealand plantings.

Chionochloa flavicans (Broad-leaved Snow Tussock)

Broad-Leaved Snow Tussock

Chionochloa flavicans

Broad-leaved Snow Tussock is a graceful tussock grass with soft, drooping flower heads, ideal for naturalistic plantings.

Aciphylla aurea (Golden speargrass)

Golden Speargrass

Aciphylla aurea

Golden speargrass is a spiky, tussock-forming plant with striking yellow flower heads, adapted to alpine and subalpine environments.

Pūriri (Vitex lucens)

Pūriri

Vitex lucens

Large native tree with glossy leaves and pink flowers, valued for its timber and as a food source for native birds.

Red Tussock (Chionochloa rubra)

Red Tussock

Chionochloa rubra

A striking reddish tussock grass found in New Zealand's alpine and subalpine regions, valued for its colour and movement in the landscape.

Gossamer Grass (Anemanthele lessoniana)

Gossamer Grass

Anemanthele lessoniana

Graceful, arching grass with seasonal copper, bronze, and gold hues.

Mountain Astelia (Astelia nervosa)

Mountain Astelia

Astelia nervosa

Clump-forming plant with broad, silvery leaves, often found in alpine areas.

Perching Lily (Astelia solandri)

Perching Lily

Astelia solandri

Epiphytic plant with long, sword-shaped leaves, often found on trees.

Speargrass (Aciphylla anomala)

Needle Speargrass

Aciphylla anomala

Concise overview of Speargrass, a resilient New Zealand native suited to gardens and restoration.

White Sedge (Carex albula)

White Sedge

Carex albula

Graceful, weeping sedge with silvery-white foliage.

Buchanan's Sedge (Carex buchananii)

Buchanan's Sedge

Carex buchananii

Complete guide to Buchanan's Sedge (Carex buchananii), including care tips, propagation methods, and its ornamental value in New Zealand gardens.

Frosted Curls Sedge (Carex comans)

Frosted Curls Sedge

Carex comans

Complete guide to Frosted Curls Sedge (Carex comans), including care tips, propagation methods, and its unique cascading beauty in gardens.

Orange Sedge (Carex testacea)

Orange Sedge

Carex testacea

Complete guide to Orange Sedge (Carex testacea), including care tips, propagation methods, and its spectacular seasonal colour changes.

Hook Sedge (Uncinia uncinata)

Hook Sedge

Uncinia uncinata

Ingenious native sedge with hooked seeds for bird dispersal, known as matau-a-māui, displaying variable foliage colours from green to reddish-bronze.

Rengarenga (Arthropodium candidum)

Rengarenga

Arthropodium candidum

A hardy, lily-like plant with white star-shaped flowers and grass-like foliage, perfect for naturalised plantings.

Leathery Sedge (Carex coriacea)

Leathery Sedge

Carex coriacea

Robust sedge with distinctive broad, leathery leaves, excellent for damp soils and pond margins.

Carex dissita

Forest Sedge

Carex dissita

A distinctive wetland sedge forming dense tussocks, ideal for restoration and bog gardens.

Glen Sedge (Carex flagellifera)

Glen Sedge

Carex flagellifera

A graceful, bronze-toned sedge with arching leaves, perfect for ornamental gardens and rockeries.

Carex geminata

Rautahi

Carex geminata

A clumping sedge with narrow, dark green leaves, naturally found in wetland and forest margins.

Carex solandri

Solander's Sedge

Carex solandri

A distinctive forest sedge with broad, ribbed leaves and compact growth habit.

Carex virgata

Swamp Sedge

Carex virgata

A tall, upright sedge ideal for wetland restoration and naturalized pond margins.

Tīmatua (Chionochloa conspicua)

Tīmatua

Chionochloa conspicua

A majestic tussock grass with tall, showy flower plumes, perfect for creating dramatic garden displays.

Snow Tussock (Chionochloa rigida)

Snow Tussock

Chionochloa rigida

Hardy alpine tussock with distinctive rigid leaves, excellent for exposed, windy locations.

Banks Peninsula Fescue (Festuca actae)

Banks Peninsula Fescue

Festuca actae

A fine-leaved coastal fescue endemic to Banks Peninsula, ideal for coastal plantings and rockeries.

Cox's Fescue (Festuca coxii)

Cox's Fescue

Festuca coxii

A Chatham Islands endemic with distinctive blue-green foliage, perfect for coastal gardens and exposed sites.

Lachnagrostis billardierei

Coast Blowngrass

Lachnagrostis billardierei

A delicate grass with fine, wispy foliage and soft seedheads, excellent for naturalised grassland areas.

Poa astonii

Blue Shore Tussock

Poa astonii

A compact tussock grass endemic to the South Island, ideal for alpine and subalpine gardens.

Poa colensoi

Blue Tussock

Poa colensoi

A hardy tussock grass with blue-green foliage, well-suited to exposed alpine and subalpine sites.

Poa foliosa

Muttonbird Poa

Poa foliosa

A leafy tussock grass with dense foliage, perfect for coastal and subalpine garden environments.