Whangārei residents snap up free trees in Whangārei District Council's Pohutukawa Coast programme

Bob Kennedy receives his hebe plants from Botanica assistant Florence Saunders. Photo / Tania Whyte

Free native plants for Whangārei residents have flown out of the central pick-up zone in record time, but are still available in the wider district.

Whangārei District Council's popular annual Pohutukawa Coast programme started on Tuesday.

As part of the programme, residents can pick up two free plants from one of four locations around the district. This year there were 3860 plants to give away including pohutukawa, kōwhai, pūriri, lancewood, flax and other varieties.

The programme was set up to help re-establish young pohutukawa trees along our coastline. It has since evolved to providing habitat and food for our native birds.

Botanica had 1200 plants and assistant Florence Saunders said they had all gone by 11am yesterday - in a little over two days.

"That's our record. Last year they went in four days."

She said in years before it had taken a week or so.

WDC parks technical officer Spencer Jellyman said plants "fly out" of Botanica but the three other distribution points usually take a week or two to clear out.

Jellyman said if people are keen in the area, there is no reason they can't collect their allocation of plants from one of the other distribution locations. He said the programme is getting "stronger and stronger each year".

"The majority of people are just grateful we're giving away free trees."

Rona Mahy-Willis is servicing residents in the Whangārei Heads and northeast of the city areas.

She said yesterday she still had about 300 plants left from the 930 she started with. This year's plants brings the total number of plants distributed since the project began 28 years ago to 69,900.

The plants are grown by Tawapou Coastal Native Nurseries at Tutukaka.

The mix of native trees and shrubs are suitable for coastal locations, rural or urban properties, wetlands and hedges.

Residents keen to get their free plants should contact the distributor to arrange a time.

Tutukaka Coast residents can pick up plants from Tawapou Coastal Natives Nursery, phone 09 434 3971.

Southern residents may pick up trees from Robbie Jones on 09 432 7329.

Residents in the northeast and Whangārei Heads can collect them from Alan Willis and Rona Mahy-Willis via 09 436 2808.