Coastal cress in flower
The coastal cress is one of New Zealand's lesser-known endangered species, but there has been considerable concern about the decline of this plant for some time now. One sub-species is even part of conservation folklore. Lepidium oleraceum was known to be abundant during the voyages of James Cook in the eighteenth century, when it was ingested to prevent scurvy. While Cook was able to collect large quantities of the plant, few botanists have had the good fortune to discover this species in recent years
Did you know one coastal cress sub-species was abundant during the voyages of James Cook and was eaten by his crew to prevent scurvy? Learn more about coastal cress.
Visit this section to learn about some of the threats to coastal cress and the reasons for its decline.
View information on DOC's coastal cresses recovery plan and find out about current conservation work.
You can help in the conservation of coastal cresses by reporting all sightings to your local DOC office.
Coastal Cresses (Nau) recovery plan (PDF, 993K)
Mainland islands Learn about this innovative approach to conserving our native plants.
The Loder Cup is awarded for plant conservation.
