Weed Swap 2024

🌿🌱 Our Weed Swap Event was a smashing success! 🎉🏡 Community members and moth plant team members and their whanaus came together to trade their nasty common household weeds for native seedlings. 🌳💚People eagerly brought in their pesky plants on a beautiful sunny Saturday, exchanging them for vibrant native additions to their gardens and schools. It was a joyous celebration of community, sustainability, and conserving Aotearoa’s nature.🌿✨ Thank you to the team members of Pest Free Howick and Auckland Council for your help making the event run as smoothly as possible. And a special thanks to Local Board Members who came down to show their support. 🙏🏻Don’t forget to download the attached doc for tips on how to care for your new plants! 📄🌿Thanks to everyone who joined us and helped make our event a blooming triumph!🌸🌿

IMAGE CREDIT: Nigel Zhang

NATIVE PLANTS IN 2024

Sophora microphylla – Kōwhai
(weeping kowhai, small-leaved kowhai)

The images are sourced from the internet.
  • Small tree (can grow to 10m)
  • Flowers from August – October
  • Flowers attract native birds (Tui)
  • Semi – deciduous
  • Tolerates a range of conditions, wind, cold, frosts
  • Can be grown in sun or semi-shade
  • Prefers wetter areas, shouldn’t be grown in dry soils
  • Incorporate compost, sand and slow-release fertiliser when planting

Muehlenbeckia astonii – Shrubby Tororaro
(Mingimingi)

The images are sourced from the internet.
  • Versatile shrub, great as an informal hedge or pruned into shapes in Summer
  • Coastal or lowland species
  • Tolerant of dry or windy conditions
  • Can reach a height of 1-2m
  • Tiny creamy yellow flowers appear in Summer
  • Prefers full sun and well-drained soil
  • Incorporate compost, sand and fertiliser when planting
  • Attracts insects and is great habitat for lizards
  • Semi-deciduous

Veronica stricta – Koromiko
(Hebe)

The images are sourced from the internet.
  • Hardy, fast growing shrub
  • Prefers open habitats, tolerates wet conditions and wind
  • Full sun
  • Grows to 1-2m
  • Attracts insect pollinators
  • Incorporate compost, sand and fertiliser when planting
  • Attractive white flower spikes in Summer

Leptospermum scoparium – Manuka
(New Zealand Tea Tree)

The images are sourced from the internet.
  • Small prickly shrub or tree growing up to 5m
  • Masses of small white/pink flowers through most of the year
  • Attracts insect pollinators
  • Quick growing
  • Tolerates a wide range of conditions – dry – moist soil
  • Full sun- partial shade
  • Minimal pruning required
  • Incorporate compost, sand and fertiliser when planting
  • Excellent screening or shelter plant
  • Evergreen

Phormium tenax – Harakeke
(New Zealand flax)

The images are sourced from the internet.
  • A striking large flax forming robust clumps of broad vibrant green leaves
  • Exceptional low shelter or erosion control plant
  • Tall red flower spikes in Summer, provides nectar for insects and native birds
  • Very hardy, naturally found in coastal and lowland swampy areas
  • Grows to 3-5m
  • Ideal for weaving
  • Prefers wetter areas, tolerates frost
  • Incorporate compost, sand and fertiliser when planting

Phormium cookianum – Mountain Flax

The images are sourced from the internet.
  • Smaller flax variety – grows to 1.5m tall
  • Yellow flower spikes produced in Summer attractive to insects and native birds
  • Tolerant of wind, dry-wet conditions, prefers full sun
  • Frost hardy
  • Incorporate compost, sand and fertiliser when planting
  • Naturally grows in coastal or subalpine areas along streams or on cliffs
  • Great as a shelter plant or wind break

Pittosporum tenuifolium – Black Matipo
(Kohukohu)

The images are sourced from the internet.
  • Versatile large shrub or small tree
  • Attractive foliage and small red flowers in Spring
  • Great as a privacy hedge or low shelter plant
  • Grows to 4-6m
  • Attracts pollinator insects
  • Tolerant of wind, partial shade, most soil types except extreme wet
  • Grows best in full sun, well drained soil
  • Incorporate compost, sand and fertiliser when planting

Coprosma robusta – Karamū

  • Large bushy shrub or small tree
  • Great as a hedge, shelter or nurse plant
  • Can grow to 6m
  • East to prune
  • Prefers full sun or partial shade
  • Produces masses of orange berries which attract native birds
  • Hardy, can tolerate damp soils
  • Incorporate compost, sand and fertiliser when planting