ngaio
Myoporum laetum | ngaio
A fast-growing, resilient evergreen shrub or small tree. It features glossy bright green leaves with a distinctive scent when crushed, and produces small, white, star-shaped flowers with purple spots in spring and summer, followed by purple-black berries that attract birds like kererū. It also attracts bees, enhancing garden ecology. Thriving in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil (adaptable to various types), it's drought and salt spray tolerant, making it ideal for coastal gardens but frost-tender when young. Ngaio is excellent for hedges, screens, windbreaks, specimen planting, and reforestation, providing dense shelter. It is tree species with lower flammability, so it can be uselful to plant in a mixed green firebreak in fire prone regions. While generally avoided by rabbits, it's toxic to livestock.