New Zealand Alpine Flora

[Lori S.]

Wow, I'm so envious... to be able to walk around the preserve whenever you want!  Wonderful! 

[cohan]

Very interesting plants and forests, Dave! And so civilised with smooth trails and stairs and everything! 

[Tim Ingram]

Tremendous natural gardens, and especially the ferns. I am very sad that I have lost my plant of Pseudowintera colorata after having it in the garden for many years. It grew very slowly in our dry conditions but you see superb plants in the west and Ireland.

[RickR]

Those are the coolest mushroom I have EVER seen!  And the conifer ain't too shabby either.    Living in a place so drastically different, it's all quite surreal.

And so civilised with smooth trails and stairs and everything! 

It's hard for me as a northerner to accept that what you show isn't a contrived design.  This a wild preserve, yet there doesn't seem to be weed in sight on the trails.  I would have thought in  situation as such that it would be a battled to keep trails open, let alone manicured.  Obviously, I know diddly about the ecology of area...

[Toole]

Thanks for the comments all....

I should have named more of the individual pics (the Pseudowintera is shown in reply 100 --IMGs 1365 and 1289).

I have no doubt you know your ecology Rick   ---I'm selective in what photos i show that's all--there are numerous introduced weeds in the area especially where there has been some disturbance to the tree canopy which allows for example , blackberry ,sycamore, berberis and others to gain a foothold.... 

Ps some healthy looking seed forming on Lilium mackliniae.

Cheers dave.

[RickR]

Ps some healthy looking seed forming on Lilium mackliniae.

Cheers dave.

 

[Toole]

Spent yesterday out in the field in the company of a couple of Americans --Sean Hogan ,co-founder of Cistus Nursery near Portland ,Oregon and his partner Nathan.

Sean is a key note speaker this coming weekend at the International Plant Propagators Society conference being held just up the road in Cromwell ,Central Otago.

He has /is giving talks to a number of garden groups throughout the South Island and is being shown the sights by fellow forumist Jandels, (aka Steve).

Boy.... i thought we Kiwis were plant 'nuts'   Wink but we are not in the same league .... Grin Grin

Just a few pics of the visit to an area of ultrabasic rock in Northern Southland.
Being so late in the season very little was in bloom.

Scenery.
 
The gang.

Sean grabbing a close up, with Jandels in the background.
 
Helichrysum intermedium on the edge.

Raoulia hookerii.
 
Sean and Aciphylla aurea.
 
Gentianella bellidifolia.

Negotiating through red tussock.

Cheers Dave.

[RickR]

The perfect mix of photos.  What are the spruces in the second pic, and the pines in the third photo?

The gentianella flowers are exquisite!
Not too much "bellidifolia" though...

[Hoy]

Did you find anything interesting among the tussocks?
I like the Helichrysum and Aciphylla!

[Toole]

Rick

The trees in question are from the USA ---Pseudotsuga menziesii ,(douglas fir), and Pinus radiata ,(Monterey Pine), both planted in NZ as plantation timber.

Hoy
A roll call back at the vehicle and all of Steves toes were present and accounted for  ,so nothing interesting found in the tussocks.........

Cheers Dave.

[cohan]

Great stuff as always- of course the Helichrysum and Aciphylla are favourites- something about plants on rock, and the A looks esp nice with space to hang at the front!
So jandals are what Jandals was wearing? Flip-flops we'd call them- I was thinking that a very interesting footwear choice for a hike  

[Jandals]

Howdy . Bit late replying because I went walkabout for awhile . I was wearing jandals (flip-flops) because we didn't venture far from the car . The lack of opuntia seedlings also makes it slightly more practical here in NZ . A few pictures to follow

On Mt.Hutt above the Canterbury Plains (near Christchurch)



Dracophyllum uniflorum



Haastia recurva





Wind shaped manuka above Akaroa



Nikau palms (Rhopalostylis sapida) south of Westport



An urban Weka



A rural Kea adjusting my windshield wiper



Yeah yeah .... whatever



Seed on Raoulia subsericea

[Lori S.]

Beautiful photos!  Looks a bit chilly for jandals, no?    
I can understand a hungry bear (and wild animals must always be hungry - it's a rough life for them!) dismantling a camper to get at food, but what is the attraction of car windshield wipers, tires(?), etc. to keas anyway?  

[cohan]

Howdy . Bit late replying because I went walkabout for awhile . I was wearing jandals (flip-flops) because we didn't venture far from the car . The lack of opuntia seedlings also makes it slightly more practical here in NZ . A few pictures to follow

I fixed my bad spelling above...lol The thought of bare feet and opuntias is indeed a bad combination...lol- unknowingly got a spine under my thumbnail yesterday, but luckily got it out later without too much trouble..

Lovely views! I forgot momentarily that you were heading into winter- interesting to see the chilly heights with green fields in view behind...

Those keas are fascinating, but must be a bit frustrating 

[Jandals]

I watched keas in action for nearly a decade when I lived and worked in Fiordland . They are very intelligent and just a little curious . Sometimes I think they pull things apart because they are bored and it's a fun thing to do . On occasions I could swear they were laughing at us humans . The pictures are of a kea near Mt.Cook (on a S.P.A.T. mission with Toolie and Doug) which had been ripping up a cushion plant (Phyllachne colensoi) and then telling us how clever it was .

And yes, it is cooling down here and with snow forecast in the hills this week , it's time to head your way . Thanks for the Utah pictures Lori . They make my feet warm up just thinking about it and looking forward to seeing flowering plants again soon