All Species
Acer campestre
Field maple Ht 10-20m
Small Tree / Deciduous / Tolerates exposed sites / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive autumn colours - yellow / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Shelter / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Europe and S.W. Asia. Broadly columnar, deciduous. Yellow, sometimes flushed with red autumn colour. A tough maple for exposed sites. Clips well as a hedge.
Acer platanoides
Norway maple Ht 20-25m
Medium tree / Deciduous / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive autumn colours - yellow / Attractive autumn colours - red / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Timber / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Europe and S W Asia. Broadly columnar, deciduous. Vigorous grower, heavy shade. Leaves turn yellow, sometimes showing red in autumn.
Acer platanoides nigrum
Norway maple - dark purple Ht 20-25m
Medium tree / Deciduous / Attractive autumn colours - purple / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Broadly columnar, deciduous. Vigorous grower. Dark purple leaves through the growing season turning reddish purple in autumn. An alternative to Copper beech.
Acer pseudoplatanus
Sycamore Ht 25-30m
Large tree / Deciduous / Resistant to salt spray / Tolerates exposed sites / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive autumn colours - yellow / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Attracts bees / Timber / Firewood / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Europe and south west Asia. Broadly columnar, deciduous. Vigorous grower. Tolerates harsh conditions. Can seed prolifically and provide fodder for grazing animals. In Central Otago it gives good yellow autumn colour.
Acer pseudoplatanus purpureum
Sycamore (purple under leaf) Ht 25-30m
Large tree / Deciduous / Resistant to salt spray / Tolerates exposed sites / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Attracts bees / Timber / Firewood / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Broadly columnar, deciduous. Vigorous grower. Similar in all characteristics to the green leaf form. The purple colour under the leaf adds variety. White hardwood joinery timber.
Aesculus hippocastanum
Horse chestnut Ht 20-30m
Large tree / Deciduous / Intolerant to clay soils / Attractive autumn colours - yellow / Attractive flowers or catkins / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Attracts bees / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Albania and Nth Greece. Broadly conical, deciduous. Large palmate compound leaves produce a dense shade. Large creamy white flowers, then prickly oval fruits, enclosing polished conkers prized by schoolboys in the UK. Best in fertile soils.
Aesculus indica
Indian horse chestnut Ht 20-30m
Medium tree / Deciduous / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive autumn colours - yellow / Attractive autumn colours - orange / Attractive flowers or catkins / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Attracts bees / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Northwest Himalayas. Broadly columnar, deciduous. Creates heavy shade. Creamy white flowers much later than A. hippocastanum. Conkers are almost black and produced in smooth skinned fruits. Drought and heat tolerant.
Brachyglottis compacta (POT grown)
Castlepoint daisy Ht 1m
Shrub / NZ native / Evergreen / Tolerates exposed sites / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive flowers or catkins / Attracts bees / Container Grown / Tolerates limestone soils
Bushy grey-green stout branched compact shrub. Leaves leathery 2-4cm long, dark green, white beneath, margins upcurved, wavy. Flowers daisy-like furry with yellow radiating petals in single or small clusters Jan & Feb. Naturally uncommon. Growing on limestone cliffs around Castlepoint, Wairarapa. Withstands strong, drying and salt laden winds, an attractive shrub.
Buxus 'Green Gem' (POT grown)
Hybrid box hedging Ht 1m
Shrub / Evergreen / Tolerates shade / Container Grown / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Slow growing compact form of Box, with naturally rounded shape. New growth lime green, darker at maturity. Evergreen, ideal for low hedge or topiary balls, clips well. Planting spacing 150mm. A hybrid between Buxus microphylla v koreana and B. sempervirens, resistant to Blight.
Cedrus atlantica (PLUG grown)
Atlas cedar Ht 30-40m
Large tree / Evergreen / Resistant to salt spray / Tolerates exposed sites / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Timber / Shelter / Container Grown / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Nth African Atlas Mountains. Narrowly conical, ageing to broadly conical, evergreen. Drought and exposure tolerant. Slow when competing with thick grass. Mulch to smother grass for best results. Valuable temple building timber.
Cedrus atlantica glauca (PLUG grown)
Blue Atlas cedar Ht 30-40m
Large tree / Evergreen / Resistant to salt spray / Tolerates exposed sites / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Timber / Container Grown / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Nth African Atlas Mountains. Narrowly conical, aging to broadly conical, evergreen. Foliage silvery blue-grey, very attractive. Seed raised plants, Drought and exposure tolerant.
Cedrus deodara (PLUG grown)
Himalayan cedar (2 yr old) Ht 25-35m
Large tree / Evergreen / Tolerates exposed sites / Tolerates dry sites / Attractive berries fruits or cone / Timber / Christmas Trees / Container Grown / Forestry species / Hedging / Tolerates limestone soils / Cold hardy (H4) (-10 to -5C)
Broadly conical, evergreen. Drought and exposure tolerant. Popular dry country shelter tree. Mulch to smother grass for best results. Can be damaged by some herbicides. Branch ends droop. Valuable aromatic timber, heartwood with resin. 2 years old. Single row shelterbelt spacing 1.5-2m, Multiple row shelter 3 x 3m with pruning of inside trees for quality timber.