Welcome to Pukeiti

Renowned for its rhododendron collection, Pukeiti is a 360 ha rain forest property located between Mount Taranaki and the coast, just south of New Plymouth.

Established in 1951, Pukeiti is an internationally recognised garden and plant collection. It is recognised by the New Zealand Gardens trust as a Garden of National Significance, and its rhododendron collection is world-class. Pukeiti is one of Taranaki's iconic visitor attractions.

Owned and managed by the Taranaki Regional Council on behalf of the people of the region, Pukeiti is open daily from 9am to 5pm in winter and 9am to 8pm in summer. Entry is free.

What's happening in the gardens

Completing the hydrangea pruning.
Planting and reinvigorating the entrance. Changes include a new entrance pathway, information panel and large formal planters painted to match the building. These will contain R. rubicon and R. Gumpo White.
Tidying and reshuffling the herbaceous borders - dividing the successful plantings and taking out some of the poorer performers.
Fertilising the garden and lawns. The fertiliser used at Pukeiti is an acid mix and we are looking into the possibility of getting our own specific brew made up. Otherwise the citrus mix from Ravensdown works well.
Vertidraining the paths and lawns prior to the busy season, which will help reduce bogginess later on.

Kids — join the
Pukeiti Explorer Club!

(Photo: Rob Tucker)