Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Open every day 10am-6pm
(except Christmas Day)
Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
There are over 100 species of orchids in Aotearoa New Zealand and come in a variety of shapes, colours, and dimensions. Some are epiphytic (live on trees), while others are terrestrial and are usually found on the forest floor or among scrub.
Our orchids thrive in diverse habitats. They inhabit forests, wetlands, mountain tops, and even roadsides across Aotearoa New Zealand. Some species are also found in the cold and remote Subantarctic Islands.
Easily overlooked and regionally endangered, very little is known about the habits and needs of our endemic small onion orchid Microtis oligantha. As this year’s Victoria University of Wellington Summer Scholar at Te Papa and Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush, Ben Carson aims to make the acquaintance of these unusual orchids.
Bringing the swamp helmet orchid back from the brink of extinction is a mission that requires a multidisciplinary team of scientists, good eyesight and a lot of patience. Curator Dr Carlos Lehnebach talks about his latest research to save this species.
In 2023, summer research intern joe Dillon spent his summer at Te Papa and Ōtari Wilton's Bush studying New Zealand epiphytic orchids (perching orchirds).
Botany Curator Carlos Lehnebach led a group of scientists and postgraduate students to several orchid-rich spots in the Remutaka Range, about 40 minutes from Wellington. The aim of the trip was to find the different forms of the native Spider orchid (Nematoceras trilobum) in flower.
Would you have the patience to spend 10 years trying to find something practically invisible? Botanist Carlos Lehnebach recently discovered his 'holy grail' - a collection of tiny ghost orchids in the Wellington region.
Documenting the pollination biology of threatened plants and trees, identifying orchid mycorrhizal partners and implementing methods to propagate orchids from seed for conservation purposes.
Using data from herbarium specimens, field collections and DNA analyses to investigate the taxonomic status of orchids in five genera.
