While I acknowledge there is a demand for Eco sourced plants I don’t necessarily agree in many cases that plants sourced from say Kakahu west of Temuka are different than those in the Ashburton Area.
My rational behind that is that 1st the Maori used many species for medicine. It is likely that if a beneficial plant was not growing near them then they will have bought plants to their area for use.
Secondly, New Zealand has now had Europeans living in it for 200 plus years. Early Europeans were quite mobile, moving to where they could occupy property or earn a living. Many had favorite plants they took with them. Many of these are now growing as wild plants in some remote places. To the purist these are as exotic as Gorse or Broom.
Thirdly, many of our native species were (some still are) pollinated by wind and over the centuries will have ‘interbred’ with other plant population of the same variety and indeed hybridised with the same species. Further moths played an important part in pollination. This is not longer as true as it once once. Man has had a devastating effect with eliminating while using man made chemicals to combat insect pests on crops. Moths have a short life cycle and fly only short distances compared to bees which are introduced. New Zealand was blessed with a Wild Bee population and these carried out pollination duties as well. The Introduction of the Honey Bee which flies considerable distances as further increased the likely hood of cross breeding within Environmental areas.
Having said that we do source the vast majority of our seeds and propagation material from as far inland in Canterbury as we can find the plant. This provides us with an excellent source of plants with hardiness built into their DNA.
We do carry out Eco sourcing where we can and can grow plants from a specified area given at least 12months or preferably longer warning. Many of our clients will collect their own seed for us to propagate and grow on. We are happy to help you establish your eco sourced planting.