The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

following the summer drought the Otaki River restoration project has lost a lot of large toetoe. (we also sometimes lose small ones in the nusery.) all out references suggest they should tolerate both dry and wet. What are we doing wrong?

Possibly Fusarium wilt - a fungal disease - I have seen similar 'sudden death' of Chatham Island toetoe (Austroderia turbaria). Nursery-raised stock, planted out on Chatham Island, and it all died in much the pattern you describe and what is depicted here. Soil testing found a species of Fusarium was responsible. I don't know what you can do about it.