10 top native plants
Your Home and Garden|March 2022
Planting native trees is a no-brainer. Leading landscape designer Michael Mansvelt shares his all-time favourites
Michael Mansvelt
10 top native plants

It’s sometimes hard to imagine that our country was once covered in native forest comprising thousands of plant species, from the lush rainforests of the West Coast to the majestic podocarp forests of the east coast.

Sadly, many of these ecosystems o longer remain today but our plants, rees, ferns, grasses, perennials and mosses re among the most diverse and interesting n the planet, with 70 percent or more of hem unique to Aotearoa.

Maori have lived with a deep connection o the country’s plant life, which has ustained, healed, clothed and sheltered them for centuries. But early settlers longing for a taste of home introduced many foreign species, which changed the landscape considerably.

Not surprisingly, the plants of Aotearoa have long been prized by botanists, gardeners and horticulturalists around the world. In my travels, I always felt proud to be Kiwi when I saw our native plants being used abroad, from our iconic pohutakawa lining streets in Manhattan Beach in California to our lush tree fern displays that pop up often at the Chelsea Flower Show and the iconic cabbage trees/ti kouka that frequent landscapes all over Europe.

Thankfully, in recent years New Zealanders have begun to appreciate our flora more and recent conservation efforts by iwi and government-led initiatives such as the One Billion Trees programme and riparian plantings have made a significant dent in the amount of native plant species being replanted, where they always belonged.

Over the past 30 years as a landscaper and gardener I’ve planted countless plants, both native and exotic. As a self-diagnosed plantaholic and proud Kiwi it is our wonderful native plants that I am increasingly finding more appropriate and exciting to grow.

This story is from the March 2022 edition of Your Home and Garden.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 2022 edition of Your Home and Garden.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM YOUR HOME AND GARDENView All
INSPECTOR GADGET
Your Home and Garden

INSPECTOR GADGET

Did someone say soy milk latte? Coming right up, as we test the Breville Barista Touch Impress

time-read
1 min  |
August 2023
The fine art of apologising
Your Home and Garden

The fine art of apologising

Why saying sorry is an act of courage and not a sign of weakness

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2023
Go with the flow
Your Home and Garden

Go with the flow

Flow Studio’s Staci Coble shapes her clay using the gentle currents of the ocean as her muse

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2023
Magic of mushrooms
Your Home and Garden

Magic of mushrooms

Follow gardening editor Mary Lovell-Smith’s fun guide and conjure up your own edible delights

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2023
The bright side
Your Home and Garden

The bright side

Paint and wallpaper transformed a boring beige former rental in Nelson into a true family home

time-read
6 mins  |
August 2023
Tales from outta space
Your Home and Garden

Tales from outta space

Hide unsightly clutter and stash those out-of-season items by adding some beautiful built-in storage

time-read
3 mins  |
August 2023
The flip SIDE
Your Home and Garden

The flip SIDE

Real estate agents might say it’s all about the location, but how do you know when you’ve found the right house to do up?

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2023
Kitchen refresh
Your Home and Garden

Kitchen refresh

Update your space with these trending looks and easy hacks to breathe new life into tired kitchens

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2023
MOVING ON
Your Home and Garden

MOVING ON

Leaving a tiny apartment in Auckland for a big house in Blenheim came with so many blessings

time-read
6 mins  |
August 2023
New horizons
Your Home and Garden

New horizons

A forward-thinking couple designed and built their home around the movement of the sun

time-read
6 mins  |
August 2023