Kawakawa Nursery
Since 2016, Kawakawa Nursery, proudly operated by Manawatū District Council, has been dedicated to restoring native plant life across our district’s landscapes.
Specialising in riparian and wetland species, Kawakawa Nursery focuses on eco-sourced plants. Eco-sourced plants are grown from seeds and cuttings collected from local populations. This ensures our plants are naturally adapted to Manawatū’s climate, soils, and ecosystems, making them ideal for habitat restoration and enhancing local biodiversity.
As part of Council’s wider commitment to environmental stewardship, Kawakawa Nursery partners with iwi, community groups, other councils, schools, and businesses to provide healthy, resilient, and affordable native plants for ecological restoration projects throughout the district. Our dedicated team brings together environmental expertise and a shared passion for protecting and regenerating the land.
Using a combination of seed propagation, cuttings, and plant division, we grow robust natives that now thrive in places like Awahuri Forest - Kitchener Park, regional council initiatives, and parks and reserves across Manawatū District. Every plant we grow plays a part in supporting a flourishing, nature-rich future for our district.
Please note: Kawakawa Nursery is not open to the public for retail sales. However, if you're part of a community group or organisation seeking native plants for a project, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to explore how we can support your restoration efforts.
Featured projects:
Propagation Guide Manawatū
The Propagation Guide Manawatū is a practical, locally-focused resource for anyone interested in growing native plants from eco-sourced material.
Developed by the experienced team at Kawakawa Nursery, this guide brings together years of hands-on propagation knowledge combined with insights from passionate local experts in the field. It features plant varieties specific to the Manawatū district, offering step-by-step guidance on how to propagate native species using seeds, cuttings, and other techniques drawn from the local environment.
Whether you're a beginner, educator, restoration group, or seasoned grower, this guide is designed to support your journey in helping native biodiversity thrive.
The best part? It’s completely free to download. Click here to get your copy (PDF file, 8.4 MB).
Wetlands
At the Manawatū Wastewater Treatment Plant, two purpose-built shallow wetland bays play a vital role in the final stage of water purification. These wetlands act as a natural filtration system, using a combination of land contact and biological plant absorption to further cleanse treated wastewater before it flows into the Ōroua River.
What makes this system especially exciting is its ecological approach: over 80,000 native plants, all eco-sourced and grown by the Kawakawa Nursery team, were carefully selected and planted to power this living, breathing treatment process.
This project is a leading example of how environmental engineering and native restoration can work hand in hand to protect waterways and enhance biodiversity.
Awahuri Forest Kitchener Park Trust
Over the past three years Kawakawa Nursery have have supplied nearly 37,000 natives to support forest restoration efforts throughout Awahuri Forest Kitchener Park Trust as well as the newly developed adjoining wetland. The nursery is fortunate to have permission from the trust to eco-source seed from the park to propagate and return plants back into the forest, keeping the local genetics intact.
Horizons Regional Council
Kawakawa Nursery is one of the main suppliers of native plants to Horizons Regional Council. Our plants go to a range of catchments groups and landowners across the Manawatū and Rangitikei districts. In 2023, we were proud to supply 30,000 plants for Horizon’s Regional Council’s Climate Resilience Lower Rangitikei Enhancement Project.