Chatham Islands: Chatham Islands Wildflowers
The Chatham Islands have been isolated for more than 80 million years, and the flora here is uniques with 47 species found nowhere else. The flora has to adapt to windy and cold, but still subtropical climate. Flowers here are brighter and larger (perhaps to attract the pollinating insects on the few days when it’s clear and sunny). This biological phenomenon is known as gigantism. The national flower is the Chatham Islands forger-me-nots, which look totally different from their mainland counterparts and are almost 3-4 time bigger! Coastal Chatham Island flax is also spectacular as are the massive carpets of pink Chatham islands ice plants on sandy beeches.
