| General Description | Olearia gardneri is a rare shrub with fuzzy seeds and small leaves. Its stems are flattened and red. It generally inhabits the southern river valleys of the North Island. It has thin oval shaped leaves with small white flowers appearing at the base of the leaves.
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| ID Characteristic | Layered branching, fuzzy seeds and small white flowers. |
| Shape | Tall shrub (up to 7 m). Branches are narrow spread (resulting in a small drip line radius). Appears top heavy. |
| Landscape | Could potentially be used as an over-fence screen due to its high branches. |
| Propagation | Can be grown from fresh seed when available. Hardwood cuttings will strike if the cutting was taken after the leaves have fallen and put inside a cold frame. |
| Notable Specimens | Masterton area office of the NZPCN (New Zealand Plant Conservation Network), Wellington Conservancy, The New Zealand Department of Conservation, and at the Mount Bruce National Wildfire Centre.
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| Bark/Stem Description | Dark furrowed and fawn bark on the older branches and trunk. Younger branches have smooth dark redish-brown bark. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Small scaled buds formed at the base of leaves. Light green in most cases. |
| Leaf Description | Ovate leaves with palmate venation and cuticle on top side of leaves. Slight silver tint on under side. Leaves tend to be 10-15 mm long and 7-10 mm wide. |
| Flower Description | Flowers are sometimes solitary or appear in fascicles of 2-6. Its flowers are small and white. |
| Colour Description | Dark brown bark. Rich green leaves. White flowers from October to December. No colour changes in leaves before dormancy period. |
| Texture Description | Small smooth leaves while the bark is coarse on the trunk. The bark is much smoother on younger branches. |