Lacebark

Scientific name: Hoheria

Tree, shrub
Not native to Wellington

About Lacebark

Although lacebark is a popular garden and landscape plant, none of its species - or their variegated cultivars or hybrids - belong in the Wellington region.

Hoheria populnea (houhere) is found in coastal and lowland forests in the upper North Island, north of about Hamilton, while H. sexstylosa (houhi ongaonga) occurs in lowland to montane forests from Warkworth southward to Canterbury. Both are very invasive and spread fast into bush, pushing all other species aside. They are a threat to biodiversity in Wellington.