Name: The Plant Company
Address: 284 Meeanee Road, Meeanee, Napier, 4112, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 843 752
Price range: Contact Us
Rating: 4.8/5

colourful nz native plants

Are you searching for colourful nz native plants to brighten up your garden? Our unique Aotearoa flora offers a vibrant palette, from rich reds and glowing golds to striking greens and subtle blues. Whether you're designing a bold border, a wildlife-friendly patch, or a contemporary landscape, New Zealand’s natives bring lasting interest with their foliage, flowers and textures. Discover how you can use colourful natives to create year-round impact, natural harmony, and sustainable beauty in your outdoor spaces.

Pseudowintera colorata

Pseudowintera colorata, commonly known as Mountain Horopito, is a NZ native shrub grown for its colourful foliage. New growth has dominant red tones and ages to become green-yellow with a red edge. Small, yellow-green flowers complement the foliage in spring and result in small, dark fruit. This evergreen typically grows to 3 m tall and 2 m wide. Pseudowintera colorata is commonly included in a mixed planting, trimmed into a hedge, used as a backdrop for smaller plants, planted around the pool or barbecue area, or mass planted for a stunning display.

Buy Pseudowintera colorata

From $24.23

Suited to regions: Subtropical, Temperate

Plant type: Shrubs

Height: 3.00 m

Spread: 2.00 m

Flowering time: Spring

Tolerances: Coastal, Extended dry periods, Hardy, Shade

Garden uses: Containers, Hedging, Living areas, Ponds, Pool areas, Screening

Garden styles: Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Formal, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, Native

Phormium 'Veneer'

Phormium Veneer is a colourful and very popular NZ native flax that features striking orange and brown stripes. It grows as a very tidy clump to about 80 cm tall and the same wide. Phormium Veneer is commonly added to mixed and border plantings, included in coastal gardens, planted around outdoor living areas, or maintained in a container.

Buy Phormium 'Veneer'

From $20.18

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Flaxes

Height: 80 cm

Spread: 80 cm

Flowering time: Summer

Tolerances: Coastal, Hardy, Wet, Wind

Garden uses: Banks, Borders, Containers, Living areas, Paths & Steps, Pool areas

Garden styles: Architectural, Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Frontyard, Japanese, Mediterranean, Modern, Native

Why Choose Colourful NZ Native Plants?

Introducing colourful nz native plants brings more than visual flair — it supports biodiversity, requires less maintenance, and thrives in local conditions. Native plants are adapted to New Zealand’s climate and soils, making them robust choices for gardeners seeking resilience and reliability. Their vibrant colours often come from dramatic foliage, intriguing flowers, or seasonal berries, providing both habitat and nourishment for native birds and insects.

Standout Colourful NZ Native Plants for Your Garden

Bold Flaxes

Flaxes (Phormium) are renowned for their architectural lines and vivid leaf colouration. For a truly eye-catching specimen, consider Phormium 'Veneer', whose foliage showcases deep bronze and copper tones. Phormium hybrids like this bring dramatic texture and movement to garden borders or containers.

Dramatic Red Shrubs

The Pseudowintera genus (commonly ‘mountain pepper’) is prized for its beautiful, variegated foliage and spicy aroma. Pseudowintera colorata offers strikingly patterned leaves in shades of green, red and gold. For even bolder colour, Pseudowintera Red Glow' features intense red hues that stand out year-round in mixed shrub plantings or native woodland gardens.

Vibrant Native Grasses

Native grasses aren’t just green: Carex flagellifera Red delivers a wonderful copper-red tone. This carex flows gently in the wind, providing movement and warm colour for mass planting or accent spots. Use it to soften hard edges or highlight feature areas with easy-care appeal.

Hot Pokers and Seasonal Colour

Embrace a burst of creamy apricot and red with Kniphofia 'Border Ballet' (Hot Poker Plant). While not strictly NZ-native, it seamlessly complements native gardens and offers dazzling spikes that draw pollinators. Consider pairing hot poker with NZ natives in sunny borders for an extended flowering display.

Design Tips with Colourful NZ Native Plants

To maximise colour impact, combine plants with contrasting foliage and form. Mix upright flaxes with low, flowing grasses and vibrant shrubs for visual rhythm. Grouping colourful natives provides year-round interest and supports native wildlife. Choose sunny spots for foliage colour to intensify, and use mulch to accentuate tones and reduce weeds.

Find Your Colourful NZ Native Plants

Ready to transform your garden with colourful nz native plants? Browse our selection for dramatic flaxes, fiery red shrubs, and copper-tinted grasses — each adapted to thrive in New Zealand conditions. For more inspiration, visit our plant range and discover sustainable colour for every landscape.

Contact us

Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.