O Tane Aotearoa / New Zealand Icon Garden Exploring with Luke Martin, Curator Nau mai haere mai, ki nga manuhiri me nga whanui o Aotearoa. Welcome to this small grove which takes you into the heart of New Zealand. From the great forest trees to the humblest of flowers, these are part of our identity.

Our forests hark back to the forests of the dinosaurs with the canopy being dominated by podocarps; coniferous trees that pre-date flowering plants. Giant tree ferns and tough-leaved trees like the kauri have survived here for millions of years.

Forests are made up of multiple tiers of trees and plants. In its most basic breakdown, the bigger trees form the canopy. The largest trees that tower over the canopy are called “emergent” trees. Under the canopy smaller trees and tree ferns form the sub-canopy, while small shrubs and ground ferns making up the understory.

Forests are formed through succession. When a tree falls over, a hill slips away in a landslide or an area is cleared by a flood, nature begins the process of healing the scarred ground.

First the bare earth is covered by fast-growing species to hold it together. Then the fast-growing trees and shrubs come up. As they grow they add matter to the ground. This rebuilds the soil and creates the shade needed to protect the ground from drying out to create an environment more suited to the big trees. Many of these colonising species provide fruit and nectar for forest bird species and these birds bring with them the of the forest giants. The seedlings of the mighty trees; the rimu, tōtara, mātai and miro, start their lives as seedlings in the shade of the colonising trees and eventually surpass their protectors and reach for the sky to form a new canopy above the forest. In the stable environment under this canopy the understory can develop; different species occupying each niche depending on moisture levels.

Kauri Agathis australis is one of the longest-lived trees in the world and largest by mass. The largest kauri ever recorded was 6.5m in diameter. Tane Mahuta has a diameter of 4.6m or 18.8 round! Tane Mahuta is estimated to be around 2000 years old, meaning he was a seedling at the time of the birth of Christ and managed to grow undisturbed for over a thousand years before people came to these shores. A whole world exists in the crown of these massive trees with over 40 other species of plants found growing in the crown of Tane Mahuta! Kauri belongs to an ancient group of conifers along with monkey puzzle trees.

Horopito Pseudowintera colorata the pepper tree is called that for a reason! Taste it but only take a small piece, for it does pack a punch, and the heat creeps up on you. Horopito creams and salves have good anti- fungal/antibacterial properties for external uses. The black berries are also spicy to eat and are really interesting with their orange insides, just be careful to wash hands afterwards to avoid accidentally rubbing your eyes etc.

Harakeke/ flax Phormium tenax. One of the most distinctive and important native plants. Used by Māori for fibre and weaving. It was also important medicinally, with the sap and used for skin ailments and as poultices. The roots were used internally for constipation and parasites. Large areas of flax were harvested commercially for the fibre industry, creating ropes for ships etc. and clearing fertile land for farming. Harakeke’s uses and applications were wide and varied. Māori selected different varieties for various weaving purposes and a range of garden varieties are cultivated in gardens across the country.

Harakeke is quite hardy and tolerant of all conditions. The flowers are an important source of nectar for native birds such as tūī and korimako/bellbirds. Care should be taken when harvesting or trimming harakeke not to damage the growing tip in the centre of each “fan”. The fan is likened to a family with the child in the centre, the parents both sides and the grandparents on either side of them. The grandparents can be removed, the parents should be left to protect the child, and if the child is removed then that family fan will die out.

Tree ferns/ferns are an iconic element of the New Zealand forest and need a shady moist place to grow. Ferns come in all shapes and sizes. The mighty mamaku Cyathea medularis is in the top five tallest tree ferns in the world and grows to 20m. The Silver fern, ponga/punga Cyathea dealbata is our national sporting icon and was also used by Māori to mark pathways when traveling at night. The Hen and chicken fern, Piko piko Asplenium bulbiferum grows small bulblets or “chicks’ on its leaves, if these fall to the ground in a suitable spot they can grow into new ferns. The fresh Koru shaped shoots of this fern and other species are eaten by Māori and by other cultures around the world. Rimu, Dacrydium cupressinum was once widely distributed across the country wherever rainfall is sufficient as it requires a good amount of moisture to grow well. Its stronghold is now the West Coast of the south island although the biggest trees remain in forests in the central north island. It was one of the major timber trees of New Zealand and was used in building houses throughout the country. This wood is still much prized and is often recycled from old homes. Its fruits are an important part of the food chain and Kakapo breeding cycles have been linked to the fruiting cycles of Rimu! The branches have a distinctive weeping habit and the stems have rough feeling “leaves”

Rangiora, repanda. These distinctive leaves are large with a white furry underside and are often referred to as bushman’s toilet paper. They have been used as paper and can be written on with a ballpoint pen. The is toxic if ingested and should not be put in the mouth or eaten, esp. the flowers and the sap. Māori chewed the gum for bad breath but did not swallow it. Best grown in semi shade.

Tōtara, Podocarpus totara can become giant trees; the biggest tōtara in the country is almost 4 m wide. Although the new growth leaves are soft, they mature into very sharp needle leaves which makes them very prickly! It is easily distinguished from the other large forest trees by its peeling bark that comes off in strips not scales. It was the best tree for carving waka as it can grow tall and straight, is light-weight and very rot- resistant. Its resistance to rot made it a great timber for railway sleepers and fence posts and many of the old tōtara fences are still standing on banks peninsula today.

Kōwhai, Sophora species. Kōwhai is the most iconic flowering tree of New Zealand. Its name is the Māori word for yellow and their magnificent blooms of gold are a welcome sight at the start of spring. They are a favourite of korimako/bellbirds and tūī who travel from far and wide to feed on their flowers. They are also much loved by kereru / woodpigeons who eat their leaves and flowers when fruit is scarce. All parts of the kōwhai tree are toxic, particularly the yellow seeds. The seeds are extremely hard and if consumed whole they will pass through the body with little ill effect.

Crushed seeds however can cause nausea, vomiting, and increased heart rate, twitching of muscles or loss of coordination. This is no reason not to handle the seeds though as the pods are great little things. They have great shape and texture and are like cocoons with their bright yellow seeds hiding inside like a wee gem. It’s advisable to wash hands after playing with kōwhai seeds/pods.

Lancewood / horoeka Pseudopanax crassifolius are great trees visually and physically. Their leaf shape and texture are like a saw blade. There are two kinds of lancewoods. The fierce lancewood Pseudopanax ferox has even sharper hooked teeth on its edges. The lance- like poles and arrow-shaped heads make children think of spears. Lancewoods are a good example of heteroblasty, a common NZ plant growth form where the plants leaves change significantly as the tree grows into a mature tree. You can see the intermediate stage in 15-20 year old lancewoods that have started to grow branched tops, and if you are lucky enough to have an older tree around you will see its round head and short leaves.

Kawakawa Macropiper excelsum subsp. Excelsum This small densely branched shrub or small tree, grows up to six metres tall, with distinctive heart-shaped leaves. The tiny flowers are in upright catkinlike spikes on separate male & female plants. In summer the female spikes ripen to a deep orange and the seed is a favoured food of many birds in late summer. It’s naturally found in coastal and lowland forests throughout the North Island and the northern half of the South Island. The fruit, bark and leaves of the kawakawa all have medicinal properties for various ailments. It is one of the most important healing herbs used by Māori and still widely used today. There are a number of native plants that have beautiful scents when in flower. Cabbage tree / ti, tī kōuka flowers have a beautiful scent that carries on the air. These were an important source of food and fibre for Māori. The fruits are much loved by native birds especially kererū/wood pigeons. Kaihua / New Zealand jasmine Parsonsia has a lovely scent and makes a great climber over arches with its interesting and varied leaf shapes. Kōhūhū Pittosporum tennuifolium. There is one of these in every garden, keep an eye out for their subtle mauve flowers so you can take a whiff of their wonderful smell.

Tarata/ lemonwood Pittosporum euginoides has lemon scented leaves when crushed. The sap that drips from the branches was mixed with oil and spread in the hair of Māori as a perfume or mixed with other gum and chewed for bad breath.