With the 12 days of Christmas coming to an end, people who used a pine tree to put their presents under are being urged to dispose of it properly.
The traditional pine remains the choice of many for their Christmas tree.
But wilding pines, with their adverse effect on native plants and birds, also are a major environmental concern.
The Department of Conservation's advice for getting rid of pine Christmas trees is to take them to the rubbish tip.
It doesn't want them dumped in the wild, because if they're coning, the seeds can still spread.
Pine species were introduced to New Zealand a century ago for timber, erosion control and firewood.
But DOC says they have adapted so well that, when their cones open and the wind catches their seeds, they can spread quickly.
It says these wilding conifers suck up nutrients without providing the advantages of native plants, such as food for birds and insects.
As well, pine needles can form an acidic carpet stopping regeneration of native plant species.
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