Introduction
Overview
New Zealand native shrubs are a diverse group of plants that fill important roles in forests, shrublands, and gardens. They provide food and shelter for birds and insects, stabilize soils, and add structure to natural and designed landscapes. Notable species include Coprosma repens (Taupata), Griselinia littoralis (Broadleaf), and Olearia paniculata (Akiraho). Many native shrubs are valued for their resilience, attractive foliage, and ability to thrive in a range of conditions, making them popular choices for restoration and landscaping projects. Species like Lacebark with its distinctive textured bark and narrow leaves, and Muskwood with its aromatic silvery-grey foliage, add unique architectural elements to gardens. Alpine species like Bush Snowberry , Leatherwood , and Leafy Tree Daisy are particularly hardy, thriving in challenging mountain environments with their distinctive foliage shapes and reliable flowering.
Dwarf Mistletoe
Korthalsella salicornioides
Tiny, succulent parasitic plant with beaded stems that closely resemble the branches of its common hosts, Mānuka and Kānuka.
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Ramarama
Lophomyrtus bullata
Beautiful evergreen shrub or small tree with distinctive blistered leaves that turn deep reddish-bronze in winter.
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Rōhutu
Lophomyrtus obcordata
Rōhutu is a slender evergreen shrub with heart-shaped leaves and attractive white flowers, followed by berries that change from red to black.
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Poataniwha
Melicope simplex
Hardy divaricating shrub with small, rounded leaves that emit a pleasant citrus scent, white flowers and black seeds.
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Manakura
Melicytus micranthus
Hardy divaricating shrub with tiny leaves and greenish flowers, typically found in damp lowland forests and swamp margins.
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Parkinson's Rātā
Metrosideros parkinsonii
Rare and striking native shrub found in high-rainfall forests of the South Island and Little Barrier Island.
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Shrubby Tororaro
Muehlenbeckia astonii
Unique and threatened divaricating shrub with interlaced orange-toned branches, ideal for hedging and restoration.
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Northern Māpou
Myrsine aquilonia
Robust evergreen shrub or small tree endemic to the North Island, featuring glossy green leaves and attractive small fruit.
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Chatham Island Māpou
Myrsine chathamica
Resilient evergreen shrub endemic to the Chatham Islands, known for its glossy, fleshy leaves and dark purple fruit.
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Weeping Matipo
Myrsine divaricata
Hardy divaricating shrub with a distinctive weeping habit and tiny heart-shaped leaves, producing small purple berries.
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Great Barrier Tree Daisy
Olearia allomii
Rare and attractive native shrub endemic to Great Barrier Island, featuring leathery leaves and white daisy-like flowers.
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Coastal Tanguru
Olearia angulata
Olearia angulata is a hardy native tree daisy with wavy-edged, leathery leaves and small yellow daisy flowers, typically found in coastal and lowland areas of the North Island.
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Fragrant Tree Daisy
Olearia fimbriata
Rare and distinctive divaricating shrub with small leaves and highly fragrant flowers, found in the eastern South Island.
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Akepiro
Olearia furfuracea
Versatile native tree daisy with leathery, dark green leaves and white daisy flowers, thriving in coastal and lowland environments.
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Gardner's Tree Daisy
Olearia gardneri
Critically threatened deciduous shrub with small leaves and pale yellow flowers, found in only a few North Island locations.
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Shore Tree Daisy
Olearia lineata
Graceful native shrub with extremely narrow leaves and small, fragrant daisy flowers, found in open forests and shrublands.
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Lyall's Tree Daisy
Olearia lyallii
Robust coastal shrub daisy with large leathery leaves and yellow daisy flowers, found on subantarctic islands and parts of the South Island.
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Swamp Tree Daisy
Olearia telmatica
Recently described species of divaricating shrub with small leaves and fragrant flowers, adapted to damp, swampy habitats.
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Stiff Pittosporum
Pittosporum rigidum
Hardy divaricating shrub with small, leathery leaves and dark red fragrant flowers, adapted to subalpine scrub and rocky slopes.
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Needle-leaved Tōtara
Podocarpus acutifolius
Small podocarp shrub with narrow, sharp-pointed leaves and edible berries, endemic to the northern and western South Island.
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Lowland Horopito
Pseudowintera axillaris
Elegant evergreen shrub with glossy green, pepper-tasting leaves and red berries, commonly found in lowland forests.
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Horopito
Pseudowintera colorata
Colourful native shrub with blotched yellow-green and red leaves, renowned for its spicy taste and medicinal properties.
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Northland Horopito
Pseudowintera insperata
Rare and localized evergreen shrub with glossy leaves, endemic to Northland and distinguished by its unique floral characteristics.
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Travers's Horopito
Pseudowintera traversii
Compact evergreen shrub with small leathery leaves and tiny white flowers, endemic to the northwest South Island.
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Taurepo
Rhabdothamnus solandri
Charming native shrub known for its vibrant orange or yellow trumpet-shaped flowers, adapted for pollination by native honeyeaters.
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Armstrong's Whipcord
Veronica armstrongii
Armstrong's whipcord (Veronica armstrongii, formerly Veronica armstrongii ) is a bushy whipcord shrub up to about 1 m tall, endemic to inland Canterbury.
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Biggar's Hebe
Veronica biggarii
Biggar's hebe ( Veronica biggarii , now Veronica biggarii) is a small, erect, sparingly branched alpine shrub up to about 0.5 m tall.
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Castlepoint Daisy
Brachyglottis compacta
Castlepoint daisy (Brachyglottis compacta) is a compact, stoutly branched shrub up to 1 m tall with leathery, wavy-edged leaves that are dark green above and densely.
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Cromwell Broom
Carmichaelia compacta
Cromwell broom ( Carmichaelia compacta ) is a small, yellow-green native broom endemic to Central Otago.
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Chatham Island Button Daisy
Leptinella featherstonii
Chatham Island button daisy (Leptinella featherstonii), also called the muttonbird plant, is a robust, grey-green, woody-based daisy that grows up to 1.5 m tall and 2 m.
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Cook Strait Kōwhai
Sophora molloyi
Cook Strait kōwhai (Sophora molloyi) is a bushy, spreading shrub up to 3 m tall, usually wider than high, with small leaflets and clusters of yellow flowers from April.
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D'Urville's Grass Tree
Dracophyllum urvilleanum
D'Urville's grass tree ( Dracophyllum urvilleanum ) is a slender, single-stemmed shrub or small tree, 2 to 8 m tall, endemic to the northern South Island.
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Devil's Horsewhip
Achyranthes velutina
Devil's horsewhip (Achyranthes velutina) is a small, much-branched shrub in the amaranth family, with a stout woody rootstock, velvety hairy stems and fleshy, dark green.
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Dieffenbach's Koromiko
Veronica dieffenbachii
Dieffenbach's koromiko (Veronica dieffenbachii, formerly Veronica dieffenbachii ) is a bushy coastal shrub found naturally only on the Chatham Islands.
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Ewartia
Ewartiothamnus sinclairii
Ewartia ( Ewartiothamnus sinclairii ) is a small, densely white-woolly subshrub in the daisy family, endemic to Marlborough in the South Island.
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Marble Inaka
Dracophyllum marmoricola
Marble inaka ( Dracophyllum marmoricola ) is a tiny, blue-green shrublet that grows only on marble in the mountains of North-West Nelson.
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Hangatere
Macrolearia semidentata
Hangatere, also called Chatham Island aster or swamp aster (Macrolearia semidentata, formerly Macrolearia semidentata), is a spindly shrub up to 2 m tall found only on.
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Canterbury Hebe
Veronica canterburiensis
Canterbury hebe (Veronica canterburiensis, now Veronica canterburiensis) is an openly branched, spreading low shrub up to 1 m tall with neat pairs of hard, oval, pointed.
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Wairoa Koromiko
Veronica tairawhiti
Wairoa koromiko (Veronica tairawhiti, formerly Veronica tairawhiti) is a heavily branched, bushy shrub or small tree up to about 3 m tall and 2 m wide, endemic to the.
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Keketerehe
Macrolearia chathamica
Keketerehe (Macrolearia chathamica, now Macrolearia chathamica) is a tree daisy found only on the Chatham Islands: Rēkohu (Chatham Island), Pitt Island and Mangere.
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Koheriki
Scandia rosifolia
Koheriki (Scandia rosifolia) is an aromatic, woody shrub in the carrot family, growing to about 1 by 1 m, with glossy, rose-like pinnate leaves and flat heads of small.
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Koru
Lobelia physaloides
Koru or colensoa (Lobelia physaloides, long known as Lobelia physaloides ) is a soft, densely branched shrub up to 1 m tall and wide, endemic to northern New Zealand.
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MacIntyre's Panax
Pseudopanax macintyrei
MacIntyre's panax ( Pseudopanax macintyrei ) is a shrub or small tree up to about 5 m tall with a broad, spreading crown, endemic to the north-west of the South Island.
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Mairehau
Leionema nudum
Mairehau ( Leionema nudum ) is an aromatic shrub or small tree endemic to the northern North Island, growing to about 3 or 4 m.
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Mt Burnett Matipo
Myrsine argentea
Mt Burnett matipo (Myrsine argentea) is a rare endemic shrub or small tree found only on Mt Burnett in north-west Nelson, where it grows on dolomite karrenfield and in.
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Murrell's Hebe
Veronica murrellii
Murrell's hebe (Veronica murrellii, formerly Veronica murrellii) is a low, spreading alpine subshrub no more than about 20 cm tall, found only in the mountains of.
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Poppelwell's Pimelea
Pimelea poppelwellii
Poppelwell's pimelea (Pimelea poppelwellii) is an erect, much-branched shrub up to about 1 m tall, endemic to the mountains of Central Otago and northern Southland.
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Pouteretere
Leptecophylla robusta
Pouteretere (Leptecophylla robusta), also called Chatham Island mingimingi, is a shrub or small tree in the heath family found only on Chatham Island (Rēkohu) and Pitt.
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