A tough and attractive New Zealand coastal shrub or small tree, recognised for its thick, glossy leaves and exceptional tolerance of salt, wind, and harsh seaside conditions. Taupatais widely used for coastal shelter, hedging, and restoration projects, while its colourful berries provide an important food source for native birds.
🌱 Plant Facts
• Growth habit: Dense evergreen shrub or small tree
• Foliage: Thick, leathery, glossy dark green leaves
• Leaves: 6–8 cm long with small pits at the junction of the veins
• Flowers: Small green to white flowers
• Fruit: Bright orange berries
• Height: Up to 6 m
🌍 Natural Habitat
• Coastal forests and shrublands
• Rocky shorelines, cliffs and talus slopes
• Boulder fields, offshore islands and rock stacks
• Coastal forest understory and petrel scrub
• Rarely occurs naturally inland
🌿 Growing Environment
• Full sun
• Sand tolerant
• Salt tolerant
• Wind tolerant
• Coastal tolerant
• Free-draining soils
One of New Zealand’s toughest coastal natives, thriving in exposed seaside environments where few other shrubs succeed. Best grown in full sun with good drainage.
📍 Endemic Distribution
• Endemic to New Zealand
• Naturally found on the Three Kings, North Island and northern South Island to Greymouth (west) and Rarangi (east)
• Now widely naturalised throughout the South Island, Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands
🌾 Uses
• Native bird food and attractant
• Bee food
• Coastal hedging and screening
• Riparian plantings
• Pioneer plantings
• Coastal restoration
• Shelter planting
🪴 Cultivation Notes (Live Plant)
An easy-to-grow and highly resilient coastal species that establishes quickly from planted specimens. It tolerates salt spray, strong winds, sandy soils, and prolonged coastal exposure, making it ideal for seaside gardens and restoration projects. It may be moderately frost tender when young.
Outside its natural range, Taupata has the potential to self-seed and become invasive, so it is best planted within its natural distribution or where appropriate for restoration projects.
📏 Approximate product size:
• PB3/4 (5–20 cm, 350 ml)
• PB3 (20–70 cm, 1.5 L)
• PB8 (50 cm+, 3.5 L)
• PB18 (1 m+, 8.5 L)
⏱️ Timeframe:
We ship Monday – Wednesday for South Island customers and Monday/Tuesday for Rural and North Island customers. Orders placed outside these days will be fulfilled the following week.
📦 Local pick ups and/or deliveries will be made by arrangement.
🌱 We’ll donate $1 per plant sold to national conservation efforts, helping to protect and restore New Zealand’s natural heritage.
A tough and attractive New Zealand coastal shrub or small tree, recognised for its thick, glossy leaves and exceptional tolerance of salt, wind, and harsh seaside conditions. Taupatais widely used for coastal shelter, hedging, and restoration projects, while its colourful berries provide an important food source for native birds.
🌱 Plant Facts
• Growth habit: Dense evergreen shrub or small tree
• Foliage: Thick, leathery, glossy dark green leaves
• Leaves: 6–8 cm long with small pits at the junction of the veins
• Flowers: Small green to white flowers
• Fruit: Bright orange berries
• Height: Up to 6 m
🌍 Natural Habitat
• Coastal forests and shrublands
• Rocky shorelines, cliffs and talus slopes
• Boulder fields, offshore islands and rock stacks
• Coastal forest understory and petrel scrub
• Rarely occurs naturally inland
🌿 Growing Environment
• Full sun
• Sand tolerant
• Salt tolerant
• Wind tolerant
• Coastal tolerant
• Free-draining soils
One of New Zealand’s toughest coastal natives, thriving in exposed seaside environments where few other shrubs succeed. Best grown in full sun with good drainage.
📍 Endemic Distribution
• Endemic to New Zealand
• Naturally found on the Three Kings, North Island and northern South Island to Greymouth (west) and Rarangi (east)
• Now widely naturalised throughout the South Island, Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands
🌾 Uses
• Native bird food and attractant
• Bee food
• Coastal hedging and screening
• Riparian plantings
• Pioneer plantings
• Coastal restoration
• Shelter planting
🪴 Cultivation Notes (Live Plant)
An easy-to-grow and highly resilient coastal species that establishes quickly from planted specimens. It tolerates salt spray, strong winds, sandy soils, and prolonged coastal exposure, making it ideal for seaside gardens and restoration projects. It may be moderately frost tender when young.
Outside its natural range, Taupata has the potential to self-seed and become invasive, so it is best planted within its natural distribution or where appropriate for restoration projects.
📏 Approximate product size:
• PB3/4 (5–20 cm, 350 ml)
• PB3 (20–70 cm, 1.5 L)
• PB8 (50 cm+, 3.5 L)
• PB18 (1 m+, 8.5 L)
⏱️ Timeframe:
We ship Monday – Wednesday for South Island customers and Monday/Tuesday for Rural and North Island customers. Orders placed outside these days will be fulfilled the following week.
📦 Local pick ups and/or deliveries will be made by arrangement.
🌱 We’ll donate $1 per plant sold to national conservation efforts, helping to protect and restore New Zealand’s natural heritage.
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