New Zealand Natives - FOLIAGE Best and STAR Performers - Part 2 Foliage NZ

In this video, we take a closer look at some of the very best New Zealand native plants grown for their foliage. These cultivated natives are widely available and perfect for creating a lush, textural New Zealand foliage garden. We’ll also highlight several Star Performer natives, as rated by Auckland Botanic Gardens, that are proven to thrive in the Auckland climate.

From striking large trees like Meryta sinclairii (puka) to versatile Coprosma species, we’ll cover a range of evergreen New Zealand natives that bring year-round structure, colour, and contrast to the garden. These plants are excellent for anyone wanting low-maintenance natives for landscaping, or looking to create strong garden design with native foliage.

Along the way, I’ll share some of my personal favourites that I’ve found particularly effective in landscape projects—plants that perform well in real gardens, not just theory.

This video offers a great sample of the best foliage plants in New Zealand, ideal for homeowners, landscapers, and garden enthusiasts wanting to showcase native texture and greenery.

👉 Don’t forget, this is Part 2 of the series. If you haven’t already, check out Part 1: Native Flowering Standouts for the best New Zealand natives known for their blooms.
00:35 Meryta sinclairii /puka
1:32 Corynocarpus laevigatus /karaka
2:15 Alectryon excelsus /titoki
3:07 Dysoxylum spectabile /kohekohe
3:43 Podocarpus totara/ totara 3:56 Podocarpus totara ‘Matapouri Blue’*
4:30 Podocarps
4:47 Vitex lucens /Puriri
5:28 Melicope ternata / Wharangi
5:56 Pseudopanax spp Pseudopanax laetus 6:10 Pseudopanax ferox / Fierce lancewood 7:08 Pseudopanax crassifolius / lancewood 7:20 Pseudopanax lessonii ‘Cyril Watson’ 7:40 Pseudopanax lessonii ‘Purpureus’
7:58 Griselinia spp 8:03 Griselinia lucida 8:18 Griselinia ‘Ardmore Emerald’ 8:25 Griselinia ‘Canterbury’
8:50 Coprosma spp 9:03 Coprosma repens ‘Poor Knights’ 9:20 ‘Karo red’ 9:45 Coprosma acerosa ‘Hawera’* 9:53 Coprosma ‘Taiko’* 10:25 Domatia
10:51 Pittosporum spp 11:12 pittosporum ‘Golf ball’ – silver and gold ‘Humpty Dumpty’
11:50 Pittosporum crassifolium/karo
12:16 Myrsine australis /Mapou
12:40 Piper excelsum /kawakawa
13:52 Brachyglottis repanda /Rangiora
14:25 Cordyline spp Cordyline australis – ‘Purple tower’ ‘Red Star’14:45 Cordyline ‘red fountain’(Dwarf)
15:14 Phormium spp/flax Platts Black ‘Dark delight’
15:40 Rhopalostylis sapida /Nikau palm ‘Chathamica’*
16:27 Astelia chathamica *
16:56 Elatostema rugosum /parataniwha
17:15 Carpodetus serratus prostrata – Putaputaweta
17:27 Muehlenbeckia astonii* complexa
18:01 Pseudowintera colorata Red horopito
18:25 Hebe sp albicans – pinguilfola sutherlandi
18:44 Fuchsia procumbens – creeping fuchsia
18:56 Acaena spp