The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

I'm looking for a tree or shrub species endemic to New Zealand that might be available commercially in the United States.

Our community, Klamath Falls, Oregon, has a sister city relationship with Rotorua. In the interest of fostering that relationship, we'd like to cultivate a New Zealand plant or two. But we are coming up empty handed in our search of nurseries in America.

We would be willing to try growing something from seed.

We have a cold climate, with winter temperatures routinely as low as -15C. So we expect to have to move plants indoors. Bonsai would be an option.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Hi Todd,
I think you'll find it challenging. While there are plenty of native plants that can handle a stiff frost, not many are up to prolonged periods below freezing where they suffer damage to the buds, leaves and cambium or dessicate while the soil water is locked up as ice. There are a range of shrubs and perennial herbs that grow in frost hollows which might manage autumn and spring. However they may also struggle with your summer temperatures and low humidity. These include some of the small leaved Coprosma, small leaved Dracophyllum, matagouri and small leaved and whipcord Hebe (woody Veronica). Some of the latter may be available in Oregon http://www.nurseriesonline.us/specialistNurseries/Hebe.htm. Hebe are generally forgiving and easily propagated from cuttings so well worth looking into. They also tolerate pot culture rather well.

It looks like manuka, Leptospermum scoparium cultivars are available in the US and they may be worth trying although I have an impression that most of these derive from lowland/coastal stock and are potentially frost tender. Mountain toatoa, Phyllocladus alpinus, and snow totara, Podocarpus nivalis, might be other options if you can source them. If you can manage to protect plants from freezing then most species that grow in the South Island have potential.

Suggest contacting someone at Washington Park Arboretum as they have a collection of NZ plants and who be able to tell you where they have sourced their plants from.
https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/washington-park-arboretum/gardens/pacific-connections-garden/