Aciphylla Scott-Thompsonii

The giant speargrass is one of New Zealand’s most imposing alpine plants, building a massive tussock of glaucous blue-green leaves that may reach 1.5 metres long, every division ending in a rigid point. Mature plants send up extraordinary flower stems two to four metres high, carrying dense cream umbels among spiny, feathered bracts. Endemic to South Island mountain grasslands and shrublands, it withstands snow, wind and severe frost. Its primeval form creates an unforgettable architectural specimen, but it needs space, sharp drainage and careful siting away from passers-by.