Griselinea Ridgeline
On a thin peninsula in the Marlborough Sounds, a narrow ridgeline winds down to the Cook Strait. Here the thickest, ancient Griselinia littoralis forest I have ever encountered occurs. The Latin species taxonomy derives from littus ‘shore’, meaning coastal-growing although this species often frequents montane areas too. Common names for this species include broadleaf, kapuka and papauma.
The first section of this forest is heavily damaged from a past fire, which explains the absence of the other dominant canopy species along this ridge, beech (Nothofagus). Griselinia littoralis is one the least flammable species of the New Zealand flora and is planted as fire-breaks for this reason. This resistance is thanks to its lush, fleshy green leaves which have also earned it a place as one of New Zealand’s most planted species in gardens and cities. The largest of the trees here are situated on rocky outcrops which have left them untouched by fire. The regrowth in this burnt section is limited to a few species capable of withstanding the strong winds off the Cook Strait. Horopito (Pseduowintera colorata) gives a reddish-hue and Ozothamnus leptophyllus a verdigris tone, amongst the dry grass and skeletal, silver limbs of Griselinia. Twisted Olearia rani, Coprosma rhamnoides and juvenile kaikomako (Pennantia corymbosa) jut out of the grass as olive-tinged, cloud-like shrubs.
At the margins of this forest, Carex geminata (cutty-grass) and Hierochloe redolens (holy grass) find respite from the exposure of the grassland. Where fire hasn’t pruned the landscape, massive Griselinia trees dominate the forest. Attaining trunk diameters of at least 1.5m, impressive stout specimens drip with epiphytic Asplenium flaccidum. These trees dwarf suburban hedges of the same species by a hundred fold. Near the coastline, Griselinia fall over in themselves in twisted, tortured forms reminiscent of the Stranger Things creatures. The bulk of the growth occurs near the surface of the ground, large trunks send down auxiliary roots into the soil for greater support and nutrients. The crown of the tree erupts in multi-leader branches that reach high above the canopy of kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile), searching for light in the dense growth.
