Chatham Island Speargrass

Botanical name: Aciphylla traversii

Common name(s): Taramea Karupuru, Chatham Island Speargrass

Plant facts:

A striking Chatham Islands speargrass forming robust clumps of long dark green leaves with pale margins and dramatic upright flowering stems. Unlike many mainland speargrasses, this species has softer, more flexible foliage and produces a distinctive yellow resin when damaged. Mature plants create impressive architectural forms in wetland and peatland habitats.

Natural habitat:

Peat bogs, peat lake margins, open sandy peat soils, and wet coastal lowland environments of the Chatham Islands.

Growing environment:

Frost, Wind, Sun & Wet soil tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

Endemic to the Chatham Islands, including Chatham and Pitt Islands.

Height:

25 cm – 1 m tall

Flowering:

November – February with creamy white to pale yellow flowers

Fruiting:

January – June

Uses:

• Architectural foliage feature
• Wetland and peatland restoration
• Native collector’s plant
• Coastal and bog garden plantings
• Habitat restoration for Chatham Islands ecosystems

Appearance:

Growth habit:
A stout tufted perennial forming dense clumps with rigid upright flowering stems and broad arching foliage.

Leaves:
Leaves are dark green to brown-green with pale cream or yellow margins. The long narrow leaf segments are leathery yet somewhat flexible compared to other speargrasses.

Flower stems:
Produces stout branched flowering stems bearing numerous umbels of creamy white or pale yellow flowers. Old flowering stems persist long after seeding and gradually weather into fibrous skeletal structures.

Resin:
All parts of the plant exude a distinctive yellow resinous sap when damaged.

How to grow:

Prefers full sun or open conditions with moist peaty or sandy soils. Best suited to cooler climates with reliable moisture. Tolerates wet ground far better than most Aciphylla species. Grow in an open position with good airflow and avoid excessive competition from surrounding shrubs or trees. Propagation is generally from fresh seed.