Plants native to Cook Is.

We document 145 of the 283 species Kew’s World Checklist records as native to Cook Is.. Native means native: introduced, extinct and doubtful records are excluded, so this is where these plants are from, not everywhere they now grow.

Documented 145 Native, per Kew 283 Coverage 51% TDWG COO

Best documented by photographic coverage

Every documented species 145 native to Cook Is.

SpeciesAuthorityFamily Photographs
Abrodictyum caudatum (Brack.) Ebihara & K.Iwats. Hymenophyllaceae 8
Acrostichum aureum L. Pteridaceae 8
Adiantum hispidulum Sw. Pteridaceae 8
Alyxia stellata Roem. & Schult. Apocynaceae 8
Angiopteris evecta (Forst.) Hoffm. Marattiaceae 8
Arachniodes aristata (G.Forst.) Tindale Dryopteridaceae 8
Arthropteris palisotii (Desv.) Alston Arthropteridaceae 8
Asplenium australasicum Hook. Aspleniaceae 8
Barringtonia asiatica Kurz Lecythidaceae 8
Bischofia javanica Blume Phyllanthaceae 8
Blechnopsis orientalis (L.) C.Presl Blechnaceae 8
Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. Urticaceae 8
Calophyllum inophyllum L. Calophyllaceae 8
Canavalia cathartica Thouars Fabaceae 8
Canavalia sericea A.Gray Fabaceae 8
Capparis spinosa L. Capparaceae 8
Cassytha filiformis L. Lauraceae 8
Cenchrus caliculatus Cav. Poaceae 8
Centotheca lappacea (L.) Desv. Poaceae 8
Cerbera odollam Gaertn. Apocynaceae 8
Christella dentata (Forssk.) Brownsey & Jermy Thelypteridaceae 8
Chrysopogon aciculatus (Retz.) Trin. Poaceae 8
Coleus australis (R.Br.) A.J.Paton Lamiaceae 8
Colubrina asiatica Brongn. Rhamnaceae 8
Cordia subcordata Lam. Cordiaceae 8
Cyclosorus interruptus (Willd.) H.Itô Thelypteridaceae 8
Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Hassk. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus cyperoides (L.) Kuntze Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus difformis L. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus javanicus Houtt. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus mindorensis (Steud.) Huygh Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus odoratus L. Cyperaceae 8
Cyrtosperma merkusii (Hassk.) Schott Araceae 8
Davallia solida (Forst.) Sw. Davalliaceae 8
Decalobanthus peltatus (L.) A.R.Simões & Staples Convolvulaceae 8
Dicranopteris linearis (Burm.f.) Underw. Gleicheniaceae 8
Digitaria radicosa (J.Presl) Miq. Poaceae 8
Digitaria setigera Roth Poaceae 8
Dodonaea viscosa Jacq. Sapindaceae 8
Eleocharis geniculata (L.) Roem. & Schult. Cyperaceae 8
Entada phaseoloides (L.) Merr. Fabaceae 8
Epipremnum pinnatum (L.) Engl. Araceae 8
Erythrina variegata L. Fabaceae 8
Eugenia reinwardtiana (Blume) DC. Myrtaceae 8
Fagraea berteroana A.Gray ex Benth. Gentianaceae 8
Ficinia nodosa (Rottb.) Goetgh., Muasya & D.A.Simpson Cyperaceae 8
Ficus tinctoria G.Forst. Moraceae 8
Fimbristylis cymosa R.Br. Cyperaceae 8
Fimbristylis dichotoma (L.) Vahl Cyperaceae 8
Fitchia speciosa Cheeseman Asteraceae 8
Gahnia aspera (R.Br.) Spreng. Cyperaceae 8
Geophila herbacea (Jacq.) K.Schum. Rubiaceae 8
Grewia prunifolia A.Gray Malvaceae 8
Guettarda speciosa L. Rubiaceae 8
Haplopteris elongata (Sw.) E.H.Crane Pteridaceae 8
Heliotropium anomalum Hook. & Arn. Heliotropiaceae 8
Heliotropium arboreum (Blanco) Mabb. Heliotropiaceae 8
Hernandia nymphaeifolia (C.Presl) Kubitzki Hernandiaceae 8
Hibiscus tiliaceus L. Malvaceae 8
Histiopteris incisa (Thunb.) J.Sm. Dennstaedtiaceae 8
Hypolepis tenuifolia (Forst.) Bernh. Dennstaedtiaceae 8
Ipomoea littoralis Blume Convolvulaceae 8
Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R.Br. Convolvulaceae 8
Ipomoea violacea L. Convolvulaceae 8
Isachne distichophylla Munro ex Hillebr. Poaceae 8
Jasminum didymum G.Forst. Oleaceae 8
Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. Crassulaceae 8
Korthalsella taenioides (Juss.) Endl. Santalaceae 8
Leptospron adenanthum (G.Mey.) A.Delgado Fabaceae 8
Lepturus repens (G.Forst.) R.Br. Poaceae 8
Macrothelypteris torresiana (Gaudich.) Ching Thelypteridaceae 8
Melastoma denticulatum Labill. Melastomataceae 8
Meryta pauciflora Hemsl. ex Cheeseman Araliaceae 8
Microsorum scolopendria (Burm.f.) Copel. Polypodiaceae 8
Miscanthus floridulus (Labill.) Warb. ex K.Schum. & Lauterb. Poaceae 8
Mucuna gigantea (Willd.) DC. Fabaceae 8
Nephroia orbiculata (L.) L.Lian & Wei Wang Menispermaceae 8
Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott Nephrolepidaceae 8
Nephrolepis brownii (Desv.) Hovenkamp & Miyam. Nephrolepidaceae 8
Nervilia concolor (Blume) Schltr. Orchidaceae 8
Odontosoria chinensis (L.) J.Sm. Lindsaeaceae 8
Operculina turpethum (L.) Silva Manso Convolvulaceae 8
Oplismenus hirtellus (L.) P.Beauv. Poaceae 8
Osteomeles anthyllidifolia (Sm.) Lindl. Rosaceae 8
Palhinhaea cernua (L.) Vasc. & Franco Lycopodiaceae 8
Pandanus tectorius Parkinson ex Du Roi Pandanaceae 8
Paspalum orbiculare G.Forst. Poaceae 8
Pemphis acidula J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. Lythraceae 8
Peperomia leptostachya Hook. & Arn. Piperaceae 8
Phlegmariurus squarrosus (G.Forst.) Á.Löve & D.Löve Lycopodiaceae 8
Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. ex Steud. Poaceae 8
Phyllanthus virgatus G.Forst. Phyllanthaceae 8
Piper latifolium L.f. Piperaceae 8
Pipturus argenteus (G.Forst.) Wedd. Urticaceae 8
Pisonia grandis R.Br. Nyctaginaceae 8
Pleiogynium timoriense (DC.) Leenh. Anacardiaceae 8
Premna serratifolia L. Lamiaceae 8
Psilotum nudum (L.) P.Beauv. Psilotaceae 8
Psychotria whistleri Fosberg Rubiaceae 8
Pteris tripartita Sw. Pteridaceae 8
Ptisana salicina (Sm.) Murdock Marattiaceae 8
Pyrrosia confluens (R.Br.) Ching Polypodiaceae 8
Sapindus saponaria L. Sapindaceae 8
Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb. Goodeniaceae 8
Schizaea dichotoma (L.) Sm. Schizaeaceae 8
Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L. Aizoaceae 8
Sophora tomentosa L. Fabaceae 8
Spathoglottis plicata Blume Orchidaceae 8
Stictocardia tiliifolia (Desr.) Hallier f. Convolvulaceae 8
Suriana maritima L. Surianaceae 8
Tacca leontopetaloides (L.) Kuntze Dioscoreaceae 8
Tectaria decurrens (C.Presl) Copel. Tectariaceae 8
Thuarea involuta (G.Forst.) R.Br. ex Sm. Poaceae 8
Torenia crustacea (L.) Cham. & Schltdl. Linderniaceae 8
Trema orientale (L.) Blume Cannabaceae 8
Urochloa reptans (L.) Stapf Poaceae 8
Vigna marina (Burm.) Merr. Fabaceae 8
Vitex trifolia L. Lamiaceae 8
Wollastonia biflora DC. Asteraceae 8
Ximenia americana L. Olacaceae 8
Boerhavia acutifolia (Choisy) J.W.Moore Nyctaginaceae 7
Ficus prolixa G.Forst. Moraceae 7
Tectaria dissecta (G.Forst.) Lellinger Tectariaceae 7
Asplenium gibberosum (Forst.) Mett. Aspleniaceae 6
Doodia media R.Br. Blechnaceae 6
Cyclophyllum barbatum (G.Forst.) N.Hallé & J.Florence Rubiaceae 5
Davallia pectinata Sm. Davalliaceae 5
Oreogrammitis cheesemanii (Parris) Parris & Sundue Polypodiaceae 5
Sclerotheca viridiflora Cheeseman Campanulaceae 5
Dianella adenanthera (G.Forst.) R.J.F.Hend. Asphodelaceae 4
Homalium acuminatum Cheeseman Salicaceae 4
Laportea ruderalis (G.Forst.) Chew Urticaceae 4
Leucosyke corymbulosa (Wedd.) Wedd. Urticaceae 4
Teratophyllum wilkesianum (Brack.) Holttum Dryopteridaceae 4
Triumfetta procumbens G.Forst. Malvaceae 4
Cypholophus macrocephalus (Blume) Wedd. Urticaceae 3
Cyrtandra lillianae Setch. Gesneriaceae 3
Cyrtandra rarotongensis Cheeseman Gesneriaceae 3
Habenaria amplifolia Cheeseman Orchidaceae 3
Homalanthus nutans Guill. Euphorbiaceae 3
Lastreopsis decomposita (R.Br.) Tindale Dryopteridaceae 3
Lindsaea cultrata (Willd.) Sw. Lindsaeaceae 3
Macaranga harveyana Müll.Arg. Euphorbiaceae 3
Phaius amboinensis Blume Orchidaceae 3
Phlegmariurus carinatus (Desv.) Ching Lycopodiaceae 3

What this page does not tell you

Kew records 138 more species as native to Cook Is. that we do not document. They are real, accepted plants. They have no page here because we could not find three photographs of them licensed for commercial use, and this site publishes no species it cannot show you. That gap is the honest measure of what we are missing, and it is why we print both numbers rather than the flattering one.

This is a checklist of what is native, not a guide to what will grow in your garden, and it carries no care advice and no toxicity claim, because we do not have those from a source we can cite.

Sourcesevery claim on this page

  1. Kew, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP v16). Native distribution by TDWG level-3 botanical country (COO). Introduced, extinct and doubtful records excluded. CC BY 3.0. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
  2. World Flora Online Plant List. Accepted names, authorities, classification. CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  3. iNaturalist. Photographs, restricted to CC0 / CC BY / CC BY-SA. Retrieved 2026-06-27.