Heather: the making of a weed
History of heather in New Zealand. Originally sowed and planted by John Cullen in Tongario National Park as a habitat for gamebirds. Grouse was introduced but did not survive in New Zealand. However heather has established and is a major problem in the park, forming dense mats, displacing natural vegetation and the homes of native invertebrates and lizards. For nearly 100 years efforts have been made to eradicate heather without much success.