the rare tree daisy of NZ's montane forest margins
- Size
- Height: 2-5 m
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Diet
- Photosynthetic shrub or small tree. Obtains nutrients from well-drained soils. Tolerates coastal conditions. Autotrophic.
- Habitat
- Native forests and forest margins. Grows in coastal and lowland areas of the North Island and northern South Island.
- Range
- Endemic to New Zealand. Found in the North Island from Northland to Wellington, and the northern South Island to Marlborough.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- No significant threats. Habitat loss from land clearance may affect local populations. Not threatened overall.
- Population
- Widespread but localised. Populations stable. Not threatened.
- Conservation Status
- data_deficient
- Human Risk
- harmless
- Handling Note
- native shrub, safe to handle
- Conservation Note
- Endemic tree daisy restricted to Campbell Island; data insufficient for full threat classification.
- Assessment
- NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
- Te Ao Māori
- Macrolearia colensoi has no recognised Māori name. The plant is named for William Colenso. A controversial figure in New Zealand history. The tree daisy is part of the coastal forest ecology of the North Island. An environment well known to Māori for its resources and seasonal patterns.
A tree daisy named for William Colenso. A missionary, printer, botanist, and controversial figure in early New Zealand. Macrolearia colensoi grows in coastal and lowland forests from Northland to Marlborough. It is smaller than its subantarctic cousin. More widespread. More accessible.
The leaves are large. Leathery. Dark green above. Pale beneath. They are rough to the touch. The flowers are white. Daisy-like. Clustered at the branch tips. The plant is a shrub or small tree. Reaching four metres in good conditions.
Macrolearia colensoi was once known as Olearia colensoi. In 2022, the genus Macrolearia was created. To house the largest-leaved tree daisies. The reclassification recognised that these plants are distinct from other Olearia species.
William Colenso arrived in New Zealand in 1834. He printed the first Māori-language Bible. He collected thousands of plants. He also had a complicated personal life. The plant carries his name. It does not judge.
The species grows in forest edges and clearings. Often near the coast. It tolerates wind and salt better than many native trees. In exposed sites, it grows low and twisted. In sheltered forest, it stands tall.
The flowers appear in late spring and summer. They attract insects. The seeds are dispersed by wind. Each seed has a tiny parachute of fine hairs.
Macrolearia colensoi is not threatened. Its range is large. Its habitat is relatively secure. It is a success story among the tree daisies.