Free Pohutukawa Trees

It is Pohutukawa Coast time of year again, when Whangarei District Council and the New Zealand Refining Company are providing 2600 Pohutukawa trees free to keen growers.

Pohutukawa Coast was set up 19 years ago to help re-establish young Pohutukawa trees along our coastline.

Whangarei District Council Parks and Recreation Manager Paul McDonald said 2600 young trees, grown by Tawapou Nurseries at Tutukaka, will be available this season.

That brings the total distributed since the project began to 39,400.

The NZ Oil Refining Company donated $5,000 towards the cost of growing the Pohutukawa trees to a good size for planting out.

The Pohutukawa trees will be available to collect and plant on private or public land during the next few weeks.

Whangarei District Council Parks and Recreation Department and the Northern Branch of the Royal Forest and Bird Society will assist with the distribution of the trees, as they have done in the past.

To obtain trees, city dwellers and people living in the north of the District should contact Botanica Whangarei in First Avenue, Whangarei (hours: 10am-4pm seven days) on (09) 430 4200 Ext. 8738 or 027 477 0518.

Tutukaka Coast residents may pick up trees from Tawapou Native Plant Nursery, ph (09) 434 3971.

Southern residents may pick up trees from Nola and Athol McCullough, ph (09) 432 8332.

People living to the north-east and in Whangarei Heads can pick them up from Alan Willis and Rona Mahy-Willis, ph (09) 436 2808.

For more information please contact Whangarei District Council Paul McDonald on (09) 430 4200 Ext. 8215.