Planting the New Zealand Forest B Y N IALL D U nn E ashington Park Arboretum has wineberry (Aristotelia fruticosa), were chosen to a special connection to the flora represent, in microcosm, the typical vegetation W of New Zealand. The first eco- you would see on a journey through the pass. geographic display created here was the New The High Country Exhibit served as inspi- Zealand High Country Exhibit, a gift from the ration for the much grander 14-acre Pacific Seattle-Christchurch Sister City Association, Connections Garden, outlined in the 2001 dedicated in 1993. This small but dramatic, Arboretum Master Plan, and now under con- boulder-strewn garden at the south end of the struction. It seems only fair, then, that the first Arboretum was designed to replicate Arthur’s of the five eco-geographic forests to be fully Pass, a famous mountain pass and national planted in Pacific Connections will be the park in the Canterbury region of New Zealand’s 2-acre New Zealand Forest. The forest is sched- South Island. The plants in the garden, among uled to be planted this summer, starting in June, them hebe (Veronica) species, plumed tus- and will officially open to the public with great sock (Chionochloa conspicua), and mountain fanfare in mid-September 2013. ABOVE: Remnant patch of mountain beech (Nothofagus cliffortioides) on Ben Lomond, in the Otago Region of New Zealand’s South Island. (Photo by André Richard Chalmers, courtesy Wikipedia Commons.) 10 v Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin Artist’s rendering of the planting plan (not final) for the New Zealand Forest. (Image courtesy the Berger Partnership) Summer 2013 v 11 Showcasing Communities of Adaptable Plants “Along with representing generalized plant The New Zealand Forest will contain more than communities from the South Island of New just forest. It will be composed of seven dis- Zealand and providing an immersion experi- tinct vegetation sections: two southern beech ence for visitors in the Arboretum, the new forest (Nothofagus) forests, three shrublands, and two garden will showcase New Zealand native plants grasslands. See the planting plan on page 11. (The that thrive in the same environment we have here new forest will also incorporate the relocated High in Seattle and are suitable for growing in our Country Exhibit; see below for details.) All of these home gardens,” says Andy Mitton of the Berger sections are modeled on actual plant communi- Partnership, the landscape architecture firm that ties found in mid- to high-elevation zones on the designed the New Zealand Forest. eastern side of the Southern Alps—the mountain range that splits the South Island of New Zealand A Topographical Design in two. Specifically, the communities are indige- The New Zealand Forest will be located di- nous to the Central Otago region in the southeast, rectly north of the Pacific Connections meadow as well as adjacent parts of Canterbury to the north and entry gardens, completed in 2008 as part and Southland to the south. of phase 1 of the Pacific Connections Garden. The Southern Alps run like a spinal cord Unlike the level meadow and entry garden area, almost the entire length of South Island in a the new forest site has a relatively steep slope. north-south direction and cause significant cli- Making the best of the topography, Mitton and matic variation between its western and eastern Berger’s principal architect on the project, Jason sides. Prevailing winds blow from the west, car- Henry, have arranged the plant communities in rying moist air inland from the sea. The Southern an altitudinal pattern, from alpine habitat at the Alps force much of the moisture to precipitate top to montane and wetland habitat at the bottom. out and fall on the west side, while creating a rain A switchback trail, with a gradient that meets shadow on the leeward east side. Rainfall on the ADA requirements, will guide visitors from the west side of the island is high and is able to sup- New Zealand Entry Garden, down through the port very wet, temperate rainforests; the east side plantings, to the historic Stone Lookout at the of the island is drier, and even becomes semi- base of the new display. Walking through the arid down near the coast. New Zealand Forest, you will feel like you’re on “To develop the plant lists for the New a gentle hike through highland terrain, observing Zealand Forest, the UW Botanic Gardens cura- the landscape and the plant composition change tion committee focused mainly on the highlands as you descend or ascend. and uplands of Central Otago because the climate there is relatively moderate and most closely re- The Vegetation Zones sembles that of our own in the Pacific Northwest,” As you enter the top of the trail, the first veg- says Randall Hitchin, former collections manager etation zones you’ll encounter will be two high- at UWBG and a lead researcher on organizing the altitude grasslands: “Snow Tussock” and garden around ecologically realistic themes. “Mountain Tussock.” The key plants in both sec- The two climates are not a perfect match: tions will be evergreen tussock grasses (bunch New Zealand doesn’t experience our extended grasses) from the genus Chionochloa. Red tussock dry summers, and the winters there are gener- grass (Chionochloa rubra) will be prevalent in both ally warmer. However, since the focal commu- sections. This striking plant grows up to four feet nities for the forest evolved on the drier side of tall and produces dense clumps of arching, cop- the South Island, they should adapt well to our per-red leaves that sway gracefully in the wind. summer drought. Moreover, because the plants It grows very well in the Pacific Northwest. In the come from relatively high elevations, they should “Mountain Tussock” section, C. rubra will be joined also be sufficiently cold hardy. by a scattering of shrubs, including mahoe (Melicytus 12 v Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin ramiflorus), a small deciduous plant with smooth, New Zealand (the other being conifer-broadleaf grayish-white bark, serrated, oblong, dark-green forest). The canopy, when it’s grown in, will be leaves, and fragrant yellow flowers.” dominated by mountain beech (N. cliffortioides), In the “Snow Tussock” section, Chionochloa the smallest of the country’s five Nothofagus spe- rubra will be interspersed with narrow-leaved cies and a denizen of high-elevation sites with snow tussock (C. rigida). The snow tussocks are a relatively dry soil. Mountain beech is an elegant, group of Chionochloa species so-named because medium-sized (it tops out at 60 feet), fast- they dominate alpine and penalpine grasslands growing tree with ascending, fan-like branches in New Zealand. Narrow-leaved snow tussock and small, curled, ovate evergreen leaves. At grows three feet tall and produces slim, tawny high elevation, southern beech forests typically green leaves and graceful, silvery flower heads. don’t have a dense or tall understory, and the On the other side of the trail, downslope “Mountain Beech Forest” section will be sparse- from the tussock grasslands, you’ll see a subal- ly but judiciously underplanted with a selection pine heath (shrubland with open, low-growing of evergreen shrubs and perennials, including vegetation) dominated by different species of mountain astelia (Astelia nervosa), a phormium- hebe. The “Hebe Heath” will be a wonder- like herbaceous perennial with light green and ful showcase for this iconic genus in the flora grey foliage, and snow totara (Podocarpus nivalis), of New Zealand. Species will include Veronica a hardy, dense, low-growing conifer with dark- pimeleoides, a compact evergreen shrub with an green needles and small, red, yew-like berries. upright habit that grows two feet tall and bears Coming out of this first section of forest, attractive, silver-blue foliage and pale lilac you’ll once again walk through the “Hebe Heath” summer flowers. Another will be Veronica subal- before entering a second Nothofagus forest, this pina, a bushy, three-foot evergreen shrub with one dominated by silver beech (N. menziesii). bright green, lance-shaped leaves and white, Slightly larger than mountain beech, this ever- late-summer flowers. green species sports distinctive, small, double- Continuing down the trail and looking upslope, toothed, oval-shaped leaves. It prefers moister, you’ll observe the tussock grassland transition into more fertile soils, and on the east side of the another shrubland, “Griselinia Bush,” just before Southern Alps it is usually found downslope from the first trail switchback. This section will be a mountain beech in ravines and other areas where mixed shrubland dominated by kapuka (Griselinia water collects. The understory in the “Silver littoralis), a fast-growing evergreen shrub that Beech Forest” will feature the unusual mountain thrives in rocky dry soils. Often cultivated as a five finger (Pseudopanax colensoi), an evergreen hedge plant in New Zealand and Great Britain, shrub with five fleshy leaflets arranged fanwise kapuka is prized for its versatility and thick, on short stems, Hebe subalpina, and more. rounded, glossy, yellow-green leaves. Two species The second of two switchbacks on the main of Pittosporum—lemonwood (P. eugenioides) and trail will occur inside the “Silver Beech Forest.” kohuhu (P. tenuifolium)—will also feature promi- As you continue downhill and out of the canopy, nently in this section. Native to forest margins in you’ll come to the final section of the display, New Zealand, both are large, evergreen shrubs “The Phormium Fen”: a wet meadow-shrubland with handsome glossy foliage and showy, fragrant, dominated by swamp flax (Phormium tenax). five-petaled summer flowers. Lemonwood boasts This fabulous phormium forms an erect clump lemon-scented leaves and pale yellow flowers, of long, strap-like green leaves up to 6 feet tall.