Native plants of New Guinea & Melanesia
These 24 plants belong to New Guinea & Melanesia. They were here before the gardens were: they know the weather, live on the rain that falls, and feed the insects and birds that grew up alongside them. Plant a few and your yard starts to fit its place.
Signature plant: Okari nut, native here and in no other world region on this list.
Nut trees (5)
- Cutnut · zones 11–12
- Galip nut (canarium) · zones 11–12
- Kukui (candlenut) · zones 10–12
- Okari nut · zones 11–12
- Tahitian chestnut (mape, ivi) · zones 11–12
Tropical and subtropical food plants (10)
- Ambarella (vī) · zones 10–12
- Banana · zones 9–11
- Breadfruit · zones 11–12
- Coconut · zones 10–12
- Marita (red pandanus) · zones 11–12
- Mountain apple (ʻōhiʻa ʻai) · zones 10–12
- Noni (Tahitian noni) · zones 10–12
- Pandanus (screwpine) · zones 10–12
- Sago palm · zones 11–12
- Taun (Pacific lychee) · zones 11–12
Perennial vegetables, greens and herbs (7)
- Aibika (island cabbage) · zones 10–12
- Kava (ʻawa) · zones 11–12
- Sugarcane · zones 9–12
- Taro · zones 9–11
- Ti (kī) · zones 10–12
- Tulip (gnetum) · zones 11–12
- Yam (uhi) · zones 9–12
Annual vegetables, herbs and grains (1)
- Winged bean · zones 9–12
Helper plants for soil, wildlife and biomass (1)
- Yar (highland casuarina) · zones 10–12
Open the natives of New Guinea & Melanesia in the planner
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All regions · Plants by hardiness zone
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home