As New Zealand is blessed with a mild climate, it provides conditions for a diverse range of plant species to grow.

The arboretum has sourced and planted trees and shrubs that represent flora of many parts of the world. These have been grouped together predominantly in geographical areas: Latin American, Asian, Australian, American, and New Zealand natives.

Global biodiversity is at risk with human intervention and climate change. For this reason, species have been chosen both to enhance appreciation of the variety of plants and to ensure that planting the range of species poses no risk to the environment. Many of these species provide useful habitat for native birds, bats and invertebrates