When New Zealanders imagine our early colonial past we have a clear sense of British lifestyles and values being brought here, as well as the more tangible importing of British plants and animals introduced to Aotearoa by nostalgic settlers to give them a sense of their homeland. The cultural and physical exchange was, however, much more dynamic. We often forget that there was another process where affluent horticulturists visited New Zealand, with no intention of settling here (or commissioned ‘plant hunters’) to collect our plants for their exotic gardens back in England. Due to its temperate climate, our plants thrived in Tresco Abbey Garden in the remote Isles of Scilly, 45km off the south-west coast of England. They are also increasingly prevalent in the coastal areas of Cornwall.