Aciphylla Kirkii

Aciphylla kirkii is a compact New Zealand speargrass forming rigid rosettes of rich green to yellow-green leaves, each divided into broad, sharply pointed segments. In summer, stout stems lift cream or dark flower clusters above exceptionally vivid orange bracts, a dramatic contrast for such a small alpine. Endemic to the mountains of Otago east of the Southern Alps, it inhabits tussock grassland, fellfield and cushionfield at high elevations. Its bold colour, armour-like foliage and neat proportions make it a superb collector’s plant for a gritty trough or alpine house.