ARTICLE : Black maire returns to three Wellington sites

 Black maire returns to three Wellington sites.

1.   Wellington Botanic Garden’s native bush areas

Black maire, Nestegis cunninghamii, were once a numerous component of Wellington forest ecosystems but almost all were felled for the excellent firewood which they provided.   Fortunately, one large, historic, black maire survives beside Mamaku Way in the Botanic Garden.   It produces seedlings, and last Spring the Mayor ceremoniously planted out one of them which had been propagated by staff member Peter Tijsen in the Garden Nursery.   Later, staff member James Jones planted several more in designated canopy gaps, a significant step in restoring these unique, pre-European, indigenous bush areas.   Staff are now treating or removing Japanese honeysuckle, old man’s beard, Prunus avium and other invasive exotics, and Greater Wellington is to survey rat and possum numbers along 2 × 200 m transects.

2.   A neighbouring gully

As part of a continuing project, Kelburn School pupils helped plant three more of the black maire seedlings in the gully below the school, which in early times was ecologically continuous with what is now the Botanic Garden.   In 1858 Charles Barraud painted the vicinity in 1875.

3.   Long Gully Bush

Long Gully Bush is a QEII-covenanted forest remnant in Wellington’s southwestern hinterland, owned by Wellington Natural Heritage Trust.   Last Spring, WNHT approached David Sole, Manager, Wellington Botanic Garden, who kindly gave permission for three more of the maire seedlings from the same parent tree to be planted in Long Gully Bush.   This decision was made on the basis that black maire was recorded by AP Druce as formerly growing in the western Wellington Hills, so it was, therefore, an appropriate species for restoring to the Bush.   The seedlings had to be stoutly protected right from the time of planting, because they are highly palatable and the Bush is not yet fully fenced.

Barbara Mitcalfe