The people saving the flower that only grows on Te Mata Peak

Mike Lusk with the daphne in the foreground. Photo / Laura Wiltshire

There is a small plant in the main gates car park of Te Mata Peak.

Thousands of people walk past it each year, clamouring to go to the famous redwoods, or hike up to the top for stunning 360 degree views of Hawke's Bay.

Few realise that at their feet is a plant so rare, it is only found on Te Mata Peak.

Pimelea mimosa has been recognised as a species in its own right for less than a decade.At one stage there were only 10-15 plants left, but a concerted effort to save the daphne over the past 15 years has seen the population boom to around 200.

As well as in the car park, the plant can be found scattered across the iconic limestone cliffs of the peak.

One of the people who has dedicated time to save the daphne is Mike Lusk, from Friends of Te Mata Park.

He said, despite being rarer than many of New Zealand's native birds, it is not seen as glamorous, and therefore most of the public is either unaware or indifferent to its plight.

The daphne, which is listed as nationally critical, essentially developed to fill a niche within the ecosystem. Lusk says if there is a gap, nature will find something to put there.

A classic example of evolution, seeds from a parent version of pimelea would have landed on the peak, and while most would not have survived, one would have had the right characteristics to grow in the harsh environment.

The daphne growing on limestone at the top of the peak. Photo / Laura Wiltshire

Over time and generations, the plants developed into a separate species found only on Te Mata Peak.

While plant numbers are growing, it likely to always be listed as nationally critical, as it has such a small habitat.

In particular, Lusk said it is vulnerable to fire, adding it was a nervous wait each Guy Fawkes night. A large enough fire could wipe out the entire population.

The plants were also subject to over-collection by eager botanists, but advancement in technology means they can now be studied with smaller clippings as opposed to taking an entire plant.