Heritage Native Trees Available For Wairau Plain Planting

Council has collected native tree seed through the generosity of local landowners granting access to remnant stands of some of our iconic heritage trees, now virtually extinct in lowland South Marlborough.

This includes matai, red and black beech, totara and kahikatea; all species that can provide excellent habitat for native birds, particularly tui.

Morgans Road Nursery has been very successful with propagating these seeds so that this year there are some surplus seedlings available for purchase to plant sites of lowland native forest.

These tree species are all reasonably hardy (especially totara) but are best planted where there is some existing native vegetation to provide some shade and cover while they become established. They are long lived and become large so some space is also needed! In good conditions they can grow two to three metres in height after three to five years and after 15 years or so provide large volumes of fruit for birds as well as habitat for insects, which in turn provides more food for the birds.