Native Garden #2

Save more when you buy more! Click here to get 10% off and free shipping when you buy Box Lots.

Corokia x virgata Geentys Green is a versatile and hardy evergreen shrub native to New Zealand. This plant is prized for its dense, fine-textured foliage, which is a rich green colour. The small, star-shaped yellow flowers that appear in spring add a touch of brightness, followed by red or orange berries that attract birds. Geentys Green is ideal for use in mixed borders, as a low hedge, or in containers.

Geentys Green thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. It is highly adaptable to various soil types, including sandy and loamy soils, and is particularly well-suited to coastal conditions due to its wind and salt tolerance. This hardy shrub is drought-tolerant once established and requires minimal maintenance. Regular watering during the establishment phase promotes strong root growth, and occasional trimming helps maintain its shape and encourage dense growth. Space plants about 1-1.5 metres apart to allow for proper air circulation and growth.

At maturity, Corokia Geentys Green reaches a height and spread of approximately 1.5-2 metres, forming a dense, bushy shrub.

Pittosporum Golf Ball is a neat forming, rounded New Zealand shrub.  This plant is ideal for adding structure and architectural interest to the planting scheme and also makes a great low hedge.  Small purple flowers appear in late spring and early summer with a sweet, honey-like scent.  Frost hardy and likes a spot in the full sun and partial shade with a moist, well-drained soil.  Grows to a height of 1m but can be trimmed to retain a smaller shape.

Phormium Dark Delight is a striking variety of New Zealand Flax that features deep burgundy to almost black sword-shaped leaves, creating a dramatic and contemporary look.

Ideal for adding contrast and texture to garden beds, Phormium Dark Delight reaches a height and spread of approximately 1.5 metres, making it a suitable choice for both small and large spaces. Its robust and upright growth habit ensures it stands out in mixed borders, rockeries or as a standalone specimen.

This variety thrives in various conditions, from full sun to partial shade, and is adaptable to various soil types, provided they are well-drained. Phormium Dark Delight is notably hardy, tolerating coastal conditions, wind and even some drought, once established.

In addition to its ornamental value, Phormium Dark Delight is low maintenance, requiring minimal care beyond removal of old leaves to keep it looking tidy. It's an excellent choice for contemporary landscapes, coastal gardens or as a focal point in a variety of garden styles.

Chionochloa flavicans is a native New Zealand ornamental tussock grass with attractive, weeping blades that display a blend of green and yellow shades and fluffy plumes. With its arching, strappy leaves and dynamic movement in the breeze, it adds a unique visual appeal and texture to gardens. 

Chionochloa flavicans is an adaptable, robust plant that thrives in conditions ranging from full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. Naturally found on cliffs and rock faces, it handles drought and windy coastal areas extremely well. It is a versatile plant and can be used as a groundcover when planted en masse, as a border to a garden bed or water feature or as a textured addition to mixed garden beds. It grows to 1m tall making it ideal for small or narrow gardens. 

Pachystegia insignis, commonly known as the Marlborough Rock Daisy, is a striking evergreen shrub native to New Zealand. Its tough, leathery, grey-green leaves are densely packed, forming a compact and tidy mound. In spring and early summer, this plant produces large, daisy-like white flowers with bright yellow centres, adding a bold and cheerful touch to the garden. The plant’s distinctive foliage, combined with its dramatic flowering, makes it a standout choice for gardeners seeking something truly unique.

Pachystegia insignis is ideal for coastal gardens, rockeries, and xeriscapes, where its drought tolerance and wind resistance shine. It adds texture and interest to dry, exposed areas or gravel gardens, thriving in challenging conditions where other plants might struggle. This New Zealand native also suits Mediterranean-style landscapes and contemporary garden designs, providing a bold structural element that contrasts beautifully with softer plants or grasses. Its compact form makes it suitable for smaller gardens or containers, where its dramatic flowers and foliage can be appreciated up close.

This tough shrub thrives in full sun and prefers well-drained, sandy or rocky soil, tolerating dry conditions once established. While it can handle poor soils, it will benefit from occasional watering during prolonged dry spells. Ideal for exposed locations, Pachystegia insignis is tolerant of wind and salt spray, making it an excellent choice for coastal gardens. Space plants about 0.5 to 1 metre apart to allow their natural, rounded habit to develop.

At maturity, Pachystegia insignis typically reaches a height of 60 to 90 cm, with a similar spread. Its compact, mounding form, combined with its tough, leathery foliage and striking white flowers, offers a strong architectural presence that brings year-round interest to the garden.

Discover the charm of Muehlenbeckia astonii, a New Zealand native shrub known for its intricate network of wiry, interlocking branches. This fascinating plant features small, heart-shaped leaves that are bright green in colour. During the summer, the shrub is adorned with delicate white flowers, which later give way to translucent berries in the autumn, attracting a variety of birds. Muehlenbeckia astonii is a hardy plant that can withstand a range of conditions including extended dry periods, coastal environments, and moderate winds. It thrives best in full sun or partial shade and prefers well-drained soil.

Whether you're looking to add contrast and texture to a mixed planting scheme or seeking a resilient option for an informal hedge, Muehlenbeckia astonii is an excellent choice. It typically grows to a height of 2.5m and a width of 1.5m but can be easily contained with regular trimming. This versatile shrub is ideal for various garden styles, from Alpine and Architectural to Coastal and Modern. Its low maintenance requirements and medium growth rate make it a good option for both novice and experienced gardeners. Add this stunning native to your garden and enjoy its beauty and resilience year-round.

Acaena inermis Purpurea is a striking ground cover featuring rich, purple-toned foliage that adds depth and contrast to garden designs. Its low-growing, spreading habit makes it perfect for softening edges, covering slopes, or filling gaps between stepping stones. In summer, it produces small, burr-like flowers that bring additional texture and interest.

Ideal for rock gardens, coastal gardens, or contemporary designs where its bold foliage can shine. It pairs beautifully with silver or green-leaved plants for striking contrasts.

Thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. Once established, it is drought-tolerant and low-maintenance. Space plants 30–50 cm apart for good coverage.

Reaches a mature height of 5–10 cm and spreads up to 60–90 cm, forming a dense, weed-suppressing mat.

Pseudowintera Red Leopard - also known as horopito or pepper tree. A hardy evergreen shrub that has lime-green foliage with rich burgundy markings that provide good foliar colour to the garden. As the days start to cool in autumn the foliage darkens to burgundy, making it a really good plant for winter interest. Plant in borders and containers. Used to form low hedging it may be trimmed to shape. Requires moist, free-draining soil in full sun or part shade.

Pseudopanax ferox is a small tree with a striking, juvenile form consisting of down-pointing, roundish, long, narrow and very tough leaves that have irregular blunt bumps along the edge. Upon maturity it grows into a bushy small tree, bearing long, narrow, leathery leaves that have a few teeth on the margin towards the tip and produces 8-9mm wide purple fruit. Reaches maturity at age 10-15, and can grow to a height of 6 metres.