Phil Bendle Collection:Olearia arborescens (Common tree daisy)

Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Astereae
Genus: Olearia
Species: O. arborescens
Binomial name: Olearia arborescens
Common names: Southern Tree Daisy, Common tree daisy, Glossy tree daisy

Olearia arborescens is an angular branched small native evergreen tree or shrub which grows up to 4 metres in the wild. It is found in lowland to mountain scrubland in North Island from East Cape southwards and throughout South and Stewart Islands, New Zealand. It is growing in the lower montane forests and scrub on Mt Taranaki/Egmont up to 1200 metres.
The trunk has thin, papery bark which peels in long thin flakes.
O. arborescens has thin leathery, green, broad, oval-shaped leaves which are 4–7.5 cm long. The edges are wavy with bluntly toothed margins. The leaves are shiny on the upper surface and the under surface is silvery due to tomentum (densely matted hairs).
During spring and summer, it has white flower heads with 15-20 individual flowers (up to 15 mm) on each.
This shrub can be purchased in specialised nurseries.

Photographed at Dawsons Falls, South Mt Egmont/Taranaki.  November
[1]

Photographed at Dawson Falls, South Mt Egmont/Taranaki.  November
[2]

New plants colonising bush edge Northern Mt Egmont/Taranaki.
[3]

Juvenile leaves.
[4]

The top surface of an adult leaf
[5] 

The top surface of a juvenile leaf.
[6]

The underside of a leaf.[7]

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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