Macrolearia colensoi
Leatherwood, known by its Māori names tūpare, kūmarahou, or kūmararaunui, is a remarkable hardy shrub recently reclassified from Olearia colensoi to Macrolearia colensoi in 2022. This bushy subalpine species forms dense, sometimes impenetrable thickets with distinctive leathery leaves featuring soft, fuzzy white undersurfaces. Named after William Colenso, the pioneering botanist-missionary who first collected it from Mount Hikurangi in 1844, it produces striking spikes of small mauve or yellow flowers. Extremely tolerant of challenging conditions including wind, salt, and shade, it's an excellent choice for difficult sites and restoration projects. It represents our hardy collection of native shrubs.
Image credit: Leatherwood (Macrolearia colensoi). Wikipedia
| Scientific Name | Macrolearia colensoi |
|---|---|
| Māori Names | Tūpare, kūmarahou, kūmararaunui |
| Former Name | Olearia colensoi (reclassified 2022) |
| Height | 2-10 meters |
| Spread | 2-4 meters |
| Water Needs | Low to moderate |
| Light | Full sun to full shade |
| Frost Tolerance | Very high (subalpine species) |
| Salt Tolerance | Excellent |
| Growth Rate | Slow to moderate |
| Lifespan | Long-lived perennial |
Leatherwood thrives in subalpine climates and coastal environments, naturally found from the North Island's eastern and southern ranges through to Stewart Island. This extremely hardy species adapts from sea level in the far south to subalpine zones, tolerating challenging conditions including wind exposure, salt spray, and temperature extremes.
| City | Climate Suitability |
|---|---|
| Whangārei | Good |
| Auckland | Good |
| Hamilton | Ideal |
| Tauranga | Good |
| Rotorua | Ideal |
| Gisborne | Ideal |
| New Plymouth | Ideal |
| Napier | Ideal |
| Whanganui | Ideal |
| Palmerston North | Ideal |
| Wellington | Ideal |
| Nelson | Ideal |
| Christchurch | Ideal |
| Dunedin | Ideal |
| Invercargill | Ideal |
Leatherwood is exceptionally adaptable to soil conditions:
Extremely adaptable to light conditions:
Low maintenance water needs:
Leatherwood can be pruned heavily if needed for specific purposes:
This species naturally forms dense, impenetrable thickets which may require management in garden settings. It responds well to pruning and can be maintained at desired size.
Leatherwood can be planted almost year-round due to its hardiness, but spring and autumn provide optimal establishment conditions when natural rainfall is more reliable and temperatures are moderate.
Choose a site with:
Water regularly during first growing season until established. Once established, this extremely hardy species requires minimal care and tolerates neglect better than most plants.
Growing Leatherwood from seed (with caveats):
Cutting propagation is possible but challenging:
Note: This species is described as "very difficult to maintain in cultivation" despite its hardiness in natural settings. Success may require patience and multiple attempts at propagation.
Leatherwood represents both New Zealand's botanical exploration history and the dynamic nature of modern plant classification:
Today, Leatherwood serves as an excellent example of how ongoing scientific research continues to refine our understanding of New Zealand's unique flora, while its hardy characteristics make it invaluable for restoration and challenging site plantings.
Despite its natural hardiness, Leatherwood can be challenging to establish in cultivation. Success may require patience and replicating its preferred natural conditions as closely as possible.
Plant Leatherwood for restoration projects where its remarkable tolerance for challenging conditions shines. The soft, fuzzy white undersides of the leaves create beautiful textural interest when wind moves through the foliage. Consider it for sites where other plants have failed - its ability to form dense thickets makes it excellent for erosion control and habitat creation. The recent taxonomic reclassification makes this plant historically significant as part of the new endemic genus Macrolearia.
Learn more about subalpine native plants in Alpine Plants.
This section provides important information about plant care and cultivation practices. Understanding these aspects helps ensure successful growth and development in garden conditions.
This section provides important information about plant care and cultivation practices. Understanding these aspects helps ensure successful growth and development in garden conditions.
This section provides important information about plant care and cultivation practices. Understanding these aspects helps ensure successful growth and development in garden conditions.
This section provides important information about plant care and cultivation practices. Understanding these aspects helps ensure successful growth and development in garden conditions.
This native daisy plays specialized ecological roles in New Zealand's alpine and subalpine ecosystems, where its flowers provide important nectar resources for alpine insects and its growth form contributes to the distinctive character of mountain plant communities. The plant helps stabilize soils in challenging mountain conditions and provides habitat for specialized alpine invertebrates, while its presence contributes to the unique biodiversity that characterizes New Zealand's high-altitude environments. Its specialized adaptations make it important for maintaining alpine ecosystem integrity.
This section provides important information about plant care and cultivation practices. Understanding these aspects helps ensure successful growth and development in garden conditions.
This section provides important information about plant care and cultivation practices. Understanding these aspects helps ensure successful growth and development in garden conditions.
Native alpine daisies face conservation challenges from climate change impacts on mountain environments, recreational trampling, and potential shifts in vegetation zones that could affect their specialized high-altitude habitats. The species' specific environmental requirements and often limited distributions make them vulnerable to environmental changes. Conservation efforts focus on protecting alpine habitats, managing recreational impacts in mountain areas, monitoring climate change effects, and maintaining the pristine mountain conditions essential for specialized alpine plant communities and their associated ecosystems.
This plant has cultural associations in Aotearoa and is valued in restoration and gardens for ecological services; use eco‑sourced stock near natural areas.
This distinctive native daisy was recognized by Māori as part of the diverse alpine and mountain plant communities, valued for its role in indicating specific high-altitude environmental conditions and seasonal changes in traditional ecological knowledge. The plant's ability to thrive in challenging mountain conditions made it important for understanding alpine ecosystems and environmental patterns. The species continues to hold cultural interest as part of New Zealand's remarkable alpine flora and represents the specialized adaptations found in high-altitude environments.
This section provides important information about plant care and cultivation practices. Understanding these aspects helps ensure successful growth and development in garden conditions.
This section provides important information about plant care and cultivation practices. Understanding these aspects helps ensure successful growth and development in garden conditions.
