Auckland Council’s urban forest and botanic specialists have chosen six new exotic species to add to the domain’s collection.

Senior Urban Forest Specialist Bernardo Santos says heritage protection of the domain and its governing framework mean the chance to plant new specimen trees within Auckland’s oldest park is rare.  Restoration of the Wintergarden buildings in 2023 has allowed for six new trees to be established this year to make up for any minor impact from the works. They will be planted near the Wintergarden nursery and the band rotunda. 

“We have chosen species that are not well represented in the domain, to enhance the biodiversity. Their suitability for the site is critical – we expect these trees to perform well for many years to come,” Mr Santos says.

The six trees are: Quercus faginea (Portuguese oak), Quercus ilex (Holm oak), Quercus suber (Cork oak), Quercus afares (African oak), Araucaria luxurians (Coast Araucaria) and Araucaria angustifolia (Paraná pine).

Image: Auckland Council