The following table provides a list of some of the native plants that are attractive to native birds.
These plant species are all found in the Auckland region.
The table has the plants listed by Maori name showing the approximate months of the year when nectar, fruit and seeds are available.
Species that are more likely to set fruit if several plants are planted to ensure pollination, are marked with an asterix (*)
| Maori Name |
Botanical Name |
Nectar
|
Fruit / Seed
|
| Hangehange |
Geniostoma ligustrifolium |
|
Mar - Apr |
| Harakeke |
Phormium tenax |
Nov - Jan |
|
| Houpara |
Pseudopanax lessonii |
|
May - Jul |
| Kahikatea |
Dacrycarpus dacrydioides |
|
Mar - Apr |
| Karaka |
Corynocarpus laevigatus |
|
Feb - Apr |
Karamu *
|
Coprosma lucida |
|
Jan - May |
Karamu *
|
Coprosma robusta |
|
Jan - May |
| Karo |
Pittosporum crassifolium |
Sep - Dec |
May - Jun |
| Kawakawa |
Macropiper excelsum |
|
Jan - Feb |
Kohekohe
|
Dysoxylum spectabile |
|
May - Aug |
Kotukutuku *
|
Fuchsia excorticata |
Sep - Nov |
Jan - Feb |
| Kowhai |
Sophora species |
Aug - Oct |
|
Mahoe *
|
Melictyus ramiflorus |
|
Feb - Apr |
Maire
|
Nestegis species |
|
Mar - Jun |
Makomako
|
Aristotelia serrata |
|
Jan - Mar |
Mapou
|
Myrsine australis |
|
Feb - Apr |
Miro
|
Prumnopitys ferruginea |
|
Mar - Jun |
Nikau
|
Rhopalostylis sapida |
|
Jan - Dec |
Pate
|
Schefflera digitata |
|
Mar - Apr |
Pigeonwood *
|
Hedycarya arborea |
|
Jan - Apr |
Pohutukawa
|
Metrosideros excelsa |
Dec - Jan
|
Mar - May |
Puriri
|
Vitex lucens |
Jan - Dec |
Jan - Dec |
Putaputaweta
|
Carpodetus serratus |
|
Mar - May |
Rewarewa
|
Knightsia excelsa |
|
Oct - Dec |
Rimu
|
Dacrydium cupressinum |
|
Apr - Jun |
| Taraire |
Beilschmiedia taraire
|
|
Apr - May |
Taupata
|
Coprosma repens |
|
Jan - Mar |
Tawa
|
Beilschmiedia tawa |
|
Apr - Jun |
Ti kouka
|
Cordyline australis |
|
Feb - Apr |
Titoki
|
Alectryon excelsus |
|
Oct - Dec |
Totara
|
Podocarpus totara |
|
Mar - Apr |
Wharariki
|
Phormium cookianium |
|
Nov - Jan |
Whauwhaupaku
|
Pseudopanax arboreus |
Jul - Sep |
Mar - May |
Click here to open the above table in 
pdf. format to download
As shown in the table, the main native plant species for nectar sources are:
| Kowhai |
Sophora microphylla |
| Flaxes |
Phormium tenax & Phormium cookianum |
| Five finger |
Pseudopanax species |
| Kotukutuka |
Fuchsia excorticata |
| Pohutukawa |
Metrosideros excelsa |
| Puriri |
Vitex lucens |
Rewarewa
|
Knightsia excelsa
|
And it is important to note that Puriri Vitex lucens and Nikau Rhopalostylis sapida provide food and nectar for native birds all year round.
Any of the native trees and shrubs with fleshy drupes (fruit with a seed surrounded by a fleshy layer), bright coloured berries and seeds are a source of food. The seeds are then dispersed by the native birds.
By planting species that have bird dispersed seed, encourages regeneration of our native forests.
Click here to purchase any of these plants
Did you know:
- Before human settlement in New Zealand there were more than 60 species of native birds. But since human settlement about 40 percent of these birds have become extinct.
- The New Zealand wood pigeon, Kereru is the only native bird that can swallow the large drupes of the taraire and karaka and tawa and therefore the only bird seed disperser of these species.
- The tui, bellbird, stitchbird and silver eye are all nectar seeking birds and these birds act as pollinators of these plants.
- Silver eye(wax eye), grey warbler, tui and fantail are insect eaters.
- Pukeko eat shoots, seeds, and rhizomes and corms of grasses and marsh plants.
