The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Scree and boulderfields

Scree slopes are made up of fans of shattered rock stretching down from a high bluff and are widespread in the eastern side of Canterbury and Marlborough. They form as the result of disintegration of greywacke as a result of a freeze-thaw process that occurs in high alpine environments. Leptinella atrata subsp. atrata (left) and Stellaria roughii. Photos by John Barkla.

Common plants of scree slopes include:

• Notothlaspi rosulatum (penwiper plant)
• Ranunculus haastii(Haast's buttercup)
• Wahlenbergia cartilaginea (scree harebell)
• Lobelia roughii (scree lobelia)
• Stellaria roughii
• Leptinella atrata subsp. atrata (black scree button daisy)

For more information see*:

• Scree plants (from John Dawson's Forest Vines to Snow Tussocks)
• Screes of acidic rock (Landcare Research)
• Boulderfields of acidic rock (non-volcanic) (Landcare Research)

*The Network is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

This page last updated on 26 Sep 2012