Marram Grass

Marram Grass is an introduced dune species that was widely planted throughout New Zealand during the twentieth century to help stabilise shifting sand dunes.

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While effective at trapping sand, Marram creates steep, narrow dunes that behave very differently from New Zealand's natural dune systems and can outcompete native species such as Spinifex and Pīngao. 

Native dune plants help build lower, wider and more resilient dunes that are better able to move and recover naturally following storms and erosion events.

At Waikawa Beach, replacing Marram with native dune species is an important part of restoring healthier coastal ecosystems and rebuilding more natural dune processes.

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