RARE NATIVE SHRUBS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29016, 3 October 1959, Page 7

RARE NATIVE SHRUBS

Collection In Wellington “The Press” Special Service WELLINGTON, October 2. Rare New Zealand native plants, some of them found in only one place in the world, are part of a collection of 500 beautiful native shrubs and trees now gracing the gardens in front of the recently repainted Government Buildings, Lambton Quay. They were planted three weeks ago under the direction of Mr J. C. Stirling, the supervisor of Government gardens. In the gardens about the buildings are a rich variety of rare and beautiful New Zealand natives. They include strange shrubs from .such places as the off-lying islands and the mountain ranges of this country, and variations of rata, pohutukawa and taupata, new versions of wellknown trees. Mr Stirling, with the backing of the Works Department, brought the plants. The rarest New Zealand plant of all is here, the iris leaves and red bottle brush of the Xeronema Callistemon from its only known habitat, islands off North Auckland. From one mountain in the Kaikouras is the white daisy Pachystegia insignis, with its perfect oval, green-topped, white undersided leaves.