Thomsons Bush
Vegetation and Plant List
Vegetation Summary Thomsons Bush is a remnant of floodplain podocarp swamp forest dominated by kahikatea and matai (with occasional rimu, totara and pokaka). It adjoins cut-off meanders of the Waihopai River with its riparian forest of kowhai and lowland ribbonwood. Understory shrubs include wineberry, Coprosma, Fuchsia, peppertree, lemonwood and kohuhu.
The remnant is a very important piece of forest being one of the few remaining remnants of kahikatea dominated swamp forest characteristic of central southern southland. However it is badly impacted by weeds (Darwins barberry, holly, ivy, sycamore, elderberry, Chilean flame creeper), a result of its urban setting with plants spreading from city gardens. There have been extensive restoration plantings and the remnant is rich in birdlife.
Tracks and Interpretation The reserve is split in two on both sides of Queens Drive with interpretation signs and good walking tracks through both areas of bush and joining the Waihopai Walkway which links other areas of the Invercargill City.
Plant Species List
Note this list was compiled from lists compiled by Brian Rance (several visits) and Peter Johnson
# Native species not naturally occurring in the reserve @ Planted exotic species * naturalised exotic species
Tall Trees *@Cupressus macrocarpa macrocarpa Dacrycarpus dacrydioides kahikatea Dacydium cupressinum rimu *Pinus radiata. Radiata pine Podocarpus totara lowland totara Prumnopitys taxifolia matai *Taxus baccata yew
Tree & shrubs *Acer pseudoplatanus sycamore *@Alnus glutinosa alder Arisotelia serrata wineberry *Berberis darwinii Darwin’s barberry *@Betula pendula silver birch Carpodetus serratus marbleleaf Coprosma foetidissima stinkwood Coprosma lucida glossy karamu Coprosma pedicellata a coprosma Coprosma propinqua mingimingi Coprosma propinqua x ? hybrid coprosma Coprosma rhamnoides a coprosma Coprosma rigida a coprosma #Coprosma robusta a coprosma Coprosma rotundifolia a coprosma Coprosma rubra a coprosma *Cotoneaster sp. a cotoneaster *Crataegus monogyna hawthorn *Cytasus scoparius broom *Daphne loreola green daphne Elaeocarpus hookerianus pokaka *Euonymus europaeus spindleberry Fuchsia x colensoi hybrid fuchsia Fuchsia excorticata tree fuchsia Griselinia littoralis broadleaf Hebe salicifolia koromiko #Hebe sp. a hebe #Hoheria sexstylosa lacebark *Hypericum androaemum tutsan *Ilex aquifolium holly Leptospermum scoparium manuka *Lupinus arboreus tree lupin *Malus domesticus apple Melicope simplex a shrub Melicytus lanceolatus narrow-leaved mahoe Myrsine australis red mapou Myrsine divaricata weeping mapou Neomyrtus pedunculata rohutu #Nothofagus fusca red beech #Nothofagus menziesii silver beech #Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides mountain beech Pennantia corymbosa kaikomako Pittosporum tenuifolium black mapou Plagianthus regius lowland ribbonwood *@Populua alba silver poplar *@Populus nigra a poplar *@Populus sp. a poplar *@Prunus avium cherry *@Prunus cerasifera plum *Prunus laurocerasus cherry laurel *Prunus lusitanica Portugal laurel Pseudopanax colensoi var. ternatus three finger Pseudopanax crassifolius lancewood Pseudowintera colorata pepper tree *@Quercus robur oak Raukawa anomalus a shrub *Ribes sanguineum flowering current *@Salix caprea pussy willow *Salix fragilis crack willow *Sambucus nigra elderberry Schefflera digitata seven finger Sophora microphylla kowhai *Sorbus acuparia rowan *Teline mospessulana Montpellier broom Tupeia antarctica a mistletoe *Ulex europaeus gorse
Ferns Asplenium bulbiferum hen & chicken fern Asplenium flaccidum hanging spleenwort Blechnum discolor crown fern Blechnum fluviatile a fern Blechnum minus bog kiokio Blechnum novae-zelaniae kiokio Blechnum membranaceum a fern Blechnum penna-marina little hard fern Dicksonia squarosa hard treefern *Dryopteris filis-mas male fern Histiopteris incisa water fern Hypolepis ambigua a fern Phymatasorus diversifolius hounds tongue fern Polystichum neozelandica a shield fern Polystichum vestitum prickly shield fern Pteridium esculentum bracken Pyrrosia serpens leather-leaved fern
Climbers & vines *Calysegia silvaticum great bindweed Clematis foetidia yellow-flowered clematis Clematis paniculata white- flowered clematis Fuchsia perscandens climbing fuchsia *Hedera helix ivy *Lonicera periclymenum honeysuckle Muehlenbeckia australis pohuehue Muehlenbeckia complexa a vine Parsonsia heterophylla jasmine Rubus australis a lawyer vine *Rubus fruticosus blackberry Rubus schmelidioides a lawyer vine *Solanum dulcamera bittersweet *Tropaeolum speciosum Chilean flame creeper
Herbs Acaena anserinifolia biddibid *Anagalis arvensis scarlet pimpernel *Barbarea intermedia winter cress *Bellis perennis lawn daisy Callitriche petrieii a slender herb *Callitriche stagnalis starwort *Capsella bursa-pastoris shepard’s purse Cardamine debilis a bitter cress *Cardamine hirsuta a bitter cress *Cerastiun fontanum mouse-ear chickweed *Clayonia perfoliata miners lettuce *Cirsium arvense Californian thistle *Cirsium vulgare Scotch thistle *Conium macilentum hemlock *Crepis capillaris hawksbeard *Digitalis purpurea foxglove *Epilobium ciliatum a willow herb Epilobium nummularifolium a willow herb Epilobium pedunculare a willow herb *Galeobdolon luteum aluminium plant *Galium aparine cleaver Hydrocotyle heteromera a pennywort *Lapsana communis nipplewort *Matricaria matricaroides rayless chamomile *Mimulus guttatus monkey musk *Mimulus moschatus musk *Mycelus muralis wall lettuce *Myosotis laxa subsp. caespitosa water forget-me-not *Plantago lanceolata narrow-leaved plantain *Plantago major broad-leaved plantain *Prunella vulgaris selfheal *Ranunculus repens creeping buttercup *Rorippa microphylla watercress *Rumex obtusifolius broad-leaved dock Schezeilema trifoliolatum a herb *Senecio jacobaea ragwort Senecio minimus fireweed *Sonchus asper prickly sow thistle *Sonchus oleraceus sow thistle *Stellaria graminea stichwort *Stellaria media chickweed Stellaria parviflora a native chickweed *Taraxicum officinale dandylion *Trifolium pratense red clover *Trifolium repens white clover Urtica incisa a native nettle *Vicia sativa vetch
Grasses *Agrostis capillaris browntop *Agrostis stolonifera creeping bent *Alopecurus geniculatus marsh fox-tail Cortadieria richardii toetoe *Dactylis glomerata cocksfoot *Festuca arundinacea tall fescue *Glyceria declinata floating sweet grass *Holcus lanatus Yorkshire fog *Lolium perenne ryegrass Microlaena avenacea bush rice grass *Poa annua annual poa
Sedges Carex coriacea/geminata cutty grass Carex secta pedicelled sedge Carex virgata a sedge Uncinia clavata a hook grass Uncinia uncinata a hook grass
Other monocots *Alisma plantago-aquatica water plantain *Allium triquetrum three-cornered garlic *Alstromeria aurantiaca a flower Astelia fragrans bush lily Cordyline australis cabbage tree *Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora montbretia *Iris sp. an iris Juncus gregiflorus a native rush Juncus sarophorus a native rush *Lagarosiphon major lagarosiphon *Lemn minor duckweed Phormium tenax lowland flax
Find Out More about any of these plants by looking them up on the New Zealand Plant Conservation Website – www.nzpcn.org.nz