How many native seedlings in the neighbourhood?

Besides the common pioneers such as karamu, ti kouka, mapou, pseudopanax and manuka (rare as seedlings, perhaps due to lack of light under canopy and recent history of dense weed invasion outside it), the seedlings relatively common in Gahnia Grove so far are totara, kahikatea, and tanekaha.

All the above species except manuka and tanekaha occur as seedlings in numerous places throughout the neighbourhood, but particularly where there is a tree (wild or planted, native or introduced) with fruit or flowers which feed birds, provided the ground cover is free of dense ground cover or herbicide use. They have been observed in high density in hedges, grass berms where the mowing ends, in shrubberies, in weedy gardens and driveway borders, particularly under Coprosma, which arise wild in untended areas such as those mentioned above.

Tanekaha seedlings have also been seen among uncontrolled weeds in an untended property/berm border under totara, but did not survive subsequent drought.

Many wild native seedlings in the streets, gardens and reserves of this neighbourhood thrive with a little manual suppression of the weeds immediately around them, provided moderate shade, shelter and soil moisture are maintained (eg by the surrounding wild natives such as coprosma, and by the weeds, whether standing or loosely arranged as mulch).

Posted on January 19, 2019 03:08 AM by kaipatiki_naturewatch