Waimea Plant Laboratories is a tissue culture lab based in Hastings, supplying domestic and export customers with a range of tissue culture plants. Part of Waimea Group, which also includes Nelson-based fruit tree nursery Waimea Nurseries, the lab was purchased in September 2020 from Peter Bennet who operated the business as Plant Propagation Laboratories.

The lab supply a wide range of tissue culture plants to wholesale nurseries in New Zealand and overseas, with growers utilizing tissue culture as a way to rapidly increase plant material volumes, compared to traditional propagation methods like cuttings, as well as providing virus-free and pathogen-free plants.

The product range includes:

Trees & Shrubs including: Daphne, Nandina, Magnolia

House plantings including: Monstera, Philodendron, Ficus.

Edibles including: Apple rootstocks, Prunus rootstocks, Blueberries, Strawberries and Hops

Waimea Plant Laboratories is proud to be licensed propagators for the following variety owners:

ATI (Anthony Tesselaar International)

Kiwiflora

PMA

Ozbreed


The lab employs around 20 permanent staff, as lab technicians and initiation specialists.