Keep an eye out for myrtle rust in your garden, local parks, and other green areas. Recognise symptoms so you can help protect our environment.
Myrtle rust is a serious fungal disease that affects plants in the myrtle family. Some of our most iconic native plants are vulnerable to myrtle rust, including:
Some exotic species can also get the disease, including ornamental plants like bottlebrush and lilly pily.
List of species found with myrtle rust in NZ
App to help you identify plants at risk | mpi.govt.nz
Look out for symptoms of myrtle rust, including:
Use the images below to help identify myrtle rust
Rātā with raised yellow pustules indicating myrtle rust. Rātā trees, along with the pōhutukawa, are one of the best known native trees in New Zealand. Native birds benefit from rātā, but as possum numbers increase the threat to native birds and to rātā has also grown.
Yellow pustules on seedling stem and red lesions on leaves of a young Eucalyptus plant indicating myrtle rust. Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae.
Rātā leaf with brown-red lesions indicating myrtle rust. Rātā trees, along with the pōhutukawa, are one of the best known native trees in New Zealand. Native birds benefit from rātā, but as possum numbers increase the threat to native birds and to rātā has also grown.
Ramarama with grey-brown older spores indicating myrtle rust. Ramarama is an endemic species of evergreen myrtle shrub which grows to a height of 8m.
Ramarama with raised yellow pustules indicating myrtle rust. Ramarama is an endemic species of evergreen myrtle shrub which grows to a height of 8m.