The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Where to purchase toetoe near Christchurch

It's not indigenous to your region. You should grow Austroderia richardii which is indigenous and just as beautiful. Try Motukarara Nursery (DOC one) south of Lincoln on the way to Birdlings Flat.

good to see you guys are using austroderia as many garden centres still call it cortederia. I still find it hard to tell the difference to be honest, been trying for several years now.

Plenty of differences starting with the waxy bloom on the basal abaxial portion of the culms which is absent in Cortaderia. That character always works.

Hi Peter,
Yes I can tell the difference between pampas and toetoe but how do you differentiate the 4 toetoes found on the mainland?
thanks

Hi Andre - that is more difficult - without getting too technical I mean. You need to look carefully at the junction between the leaf blade and the sheath, on the upper surface and look at the hair distributions on the leaf and also on the leaf sheath: Try this:
Austroderia tubraria (Chatham Islands ONLY) - leaf sheath conspicuously hairy, plants hermaphroditic (so all can set seed),
Austroderia fulvida - leaf blades slightly scabrid, upper leaf blade above ligule without hairs, ligule 1 mm (or less) - North Island (scarce in the northern South Island)
Austroderia splendens - leaf blade slightly scabrid, upper leaf blade above ligule hairy, ligule 3 mm long - FLORA V states rhizomatous but there are two entities in this name, the rhizomatous one is found in active sand the non-rhizomatous one on coastal headlands etc.....Continued

Continued...Austroderia toetoe - leaf blade margins conspicuously scabrid, leaf-sheath, under wax coating ivory-coloured, culm internodes ivory-coloured. North Island ONLY
Austroderia richardii - leaf blade margins conspicuously scabrid, leaf-sheath, under wax layer green (not ivory-coloured), culm internodes green (not ivory-coloured). South Island ONLY.

Hope that helps.