holds the montane slopes against wind

Size
Height: 30–60 cm
Lifespan
10–15 years
Diet
Photosynthetic. Draws energy from sunlight. Obtains nutrients from well-drained, often poor soils in montane environments.
Habitat
Montane and subalpine grasslands, open slopes and herbfields. Prefers well-drained, often poor soils with full sun. Tolerates cold, wind, frost and snow.
Range
Throughout New Zealand from Northland to Stewart Island. Most common in montane and subalpine grasslands. Widespread in tussock grasslands.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Habitat loss from land clearance and farming is primary threat. Climate change affecting subalpine habitats. No significant pest or disease issues.
Population
Populations considered stable but localised. Species common in tussock grasslands throughout New Zealand. Threatened by ongoing land clearance for farming.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
caution
Handling Note
sharp tussock leaves cause skin lacerations, wear long trousers in the field
Conservation Note
Endemic tussock grass; widespread in montane and alpine habitats throughout New Zealand.
Assessment
NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
Te Ao Māori
In Māori tradition, hard tussock was used for thatching and for making brooms or rahurahu. Stiff leaves were noted. Tussock grasslands were hunting grounds for birds and lizards. Name refers to hard, stiff leaves. Plant of high country. Gathered by those who travelled mountain passes. Resource from windswept hills. Stiff leaf for stiff broom.
The high country does not do soft. Soft things get blown away. Festuca novae-zelandiae is a dense, tufted grass with stiff, narrow leaves. One of the most common tussock grasses in New Zealand's high country. The leaves are rolled and wiry. Dark green to grey-green. Rough texture. Flower heads are slender and narrow. Held on tall stalks above the leaves. Built like a dropped toolbox. The plant is very hardy. Tolerates cold, wind, and snow. Grows in montane and subalpine grasslands. Often forms extensive tussocklands. Dense tufts provide habitat for native insects and lizards. Offering shelter from wind and predators. A grass that builds houses for others. Hard tussock is an important component of New Zealand's tussock grasslands. Dominates large areas of the South Island's high country. From Marlborough to Southland. Tussocklands are a distinctive feature of the landscape. Rolling across hillsides like a green-grey sea. A sea that does not move. A sea that rustles in the wind. Leaves were used by Māori for thatching and for making brooms or rahurahu. Stiff leaves bundled together to make brushes for sweeping. A grass that cleans up after itself. To walk through a hard tussock grassland is to see the high country at its most open. Tussocks roll across hillsides. Stiff leaves rustling in wind. Landscape of space and sky. Cold winters and short summers. Hard tussock is backbone of this landscape. Grass that holds hills together. Wind does not stop. Snow does not ask permission. Hard tussock does not complain. It just holds on. No one told it otherwise.