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They may—but a 2026 study of one Canterbury wildfire did not observe native plants regenerating from seed. Instead, the native plants sampled in the study had resprouted, while the six taxa identified as regenerating from seed were exotic. That finding is specific to one eastern dryland reserve and a short follow-up; it does not show that native seeds across New Zealand cannot survive fire.
What the Pukaki wildfire study found
The study, “High Resprouting of Plants Within 16 Months of Wildfire in a Dry Grassland in Aotearoa New Zealand,” by S. Budha-Magar, H. L. Buckley, T. J. Curran and N. J. Day, was first published on 13 May 2026 in the New Zealand Journal of Botany. It examined the fire that began on 29 August 2020 at Pukaki Scientific Reserve in Canterbury. The fire burned approximately 2,226 hectares, according to Fire and Emergency New Zealand figures cited by the study authors. Read the study.
Researchers surveyed seven plots one and four months after the fire, then returned to two plots at 16 months. They recorded 63 vascular plant taxa in repeated surveys. To distinguish plants that had resprouted from those that had germinated, they also destructively sampled 242 plants from 25 taxa: 215 were identified as resprouted. The six taxa the study identified as regenerating from seed were all exotic.
These results answer a narrower question than whether New Zealand native seeds can survive wildfire in general. The work covered one dry grassland and shrubland site, did not include measurements of vegetation before the fire, and its 16-month follow-up involved only two plots. Many native taxa had low sample sizes. The study therefore documents what researchers observed at Pukaki during that period, not a nationwide test of native seed survival.
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Resprouting is not the same as seed survival
A plant can appear again after fire through different routes, and they should not be conflated:
- Resprouting: A living plant sends up new growth from protected buds or underground parts. The plant has survived, but that does not mean its seeds survived the fire.
- Germination from a seed bank: Seeds already present in the soil or canopy survive and later germinate. Whether this happens depends on the species and on seed-bank conditions, including fire exposure.
- Arrival from outside the burn: Seeds disperse into the burned area from nearby unburned vegetation. This is recolonisation, not survival of seeds within the burned ground.
Those pathways can operate together, but evidence for one does not establish another. For example, the Department of Conservation (DOC) reported that Volcanic Plateau speargrass, a Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable species, was found abundantly in the landscape cleared by the late-2025 Tongariro fires. DOC Technical Advisor and botanist Paul Cashmore said, “It clearly can survive a fire, and we expect to see it increase even more over the next few years while there is less competition for light from taller growing vegetation.” This is evidence of the plant’s presence after fire, not proof that its seeds survived. DOC also noted that intact vegetation patches can provide refuges for natural recolonisation. DOC’s Tongariro fire report.
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What broader New Zealand evidence suggests
DOC’s technical review describes sprouting as the more common post-fire strategy among New Zealand native plants, while noting that some species show enhanced seeding or germination after fire. The review says there is little evidence of hard-seededness in native flora beyond kōwhai and possibly Carmichaelia shrubs; it also reports that native grasslands and shrublands generally lack buried seed banks of long-lived seeds. This is broad guidance, not a rule for every native species or ecosystem. Read DOC’s technical review of fire and New Zealand vegetation.
Other habitats can behave differently. A 2022 study record concerning fire-prone New Zealand restiad bogs describes native bog species re-establishing from seeds in the peat seed bank. That example shows why conclusions from Pukaki’s dryland grassland and shrubland should not be applied to all ecosystems. See the study record on New Zealand restiad bogs.
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Why native seed regeneration may not have appeared at Pukaki
The Pukaki authors proposed several possible explanations for not observing native seed regeneration: native seed sources may have been sparse; plants may have lacked fire-resistant seed banks at the site; the follow-up may have been too short for establishment; or competition may have prevented germination or establishment. These are proposed explanations, not causes the study proved. The authors identify seed banks, dispersal, germination and recruitment as areas needing further study.
Timing is especially important. The study’s longest follow-up was 16 months, and only two plots were revisited at that point. A seed might fail to germinate, or a seedling might not establish, within the observation period without that result proving seeds never survive fire. Conversely, seeing plants return does not tell us whether they came from seed, resprouted, or arrived from an unburned area unless their origin is examined.
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If you are restoring a burned site
Do not assume that generic seed is suitable just because an area has burned. DOC recommends eco-sourcing: collecting seed or cuttings from nearby, similar ecosystems and matching the source to the restoration site’s habitat. Ask the landowner before collecting; collection on public conservation land requires a DOC permit. DOC also advises consulting local iwi or hapū before moving plants between places, and seeking expert advice for threatened species or sensitive situations. DOC guidance on eco-sourcing native plants.
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