Prior to settlement along the Kapiti Coast the coastal sand dune system extended from Paekakariki in the south to beyond Foxton in the north. With it came a set of plants adapted to living in the various dune habitats.
A number of our communities (Otaki Beach, Te Horo Beach etc) are situated in dune country and establishing gardens in these areas can be rather challenging. One way around this is to use what nature has already provided; the plants that have evolved to cope with these conditions. In addition to creating an interesting garden that truly reflects its natural surroundings you will undoubtedly create habitat for native fauna, particularly our lizards and insects.
If you live in any of these beach communities consider some of the following native plants:
- Apodasmia similis (Oioi),
- Coprosma acerosa (dune coprosma),
- Coprosma rhamnoides,
- Corokia cotoneaster (Korokio),
- Disphyma australe (NZ ice plant),
- Hebe elliptica (coastal hebe),
- Libertia peregrinans (NZ iris),
- Melicytus crassifolius (Cook Strait mahoe),
- Muehlenbeckia complexa (Pohuehue),
- Olearia solandri (coastal tree daisy),
- Phormium cookianum (coastal flax),
- Pimelea villosa (NZ daphane),
- Poa billardierei (sand tussock),
- Sophora molloyi (Cook Strait kowhai) and
- Tetragonia tetragonioides (NZ spinach).