Claire Concannon hears how the the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network's favourite plant competition is shaping up, while Katy Gosset learns about research to improve the quality and growth efficiency of grapevines.

If you had to choose, what would your favourite plant be? Something beautiful and flashy like kōwhai or pōhutukawa? Or maybe something subtle like a native moss or grass? Or perhaps you would go with something that produces delicious fruit like a cherry or peach tree? This week, we pick favourites.

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The dwarf plant with long odds

From a childhood exploring shrub-filled gorges around Taranaki, through a career learning about and looking after threatened native plants with DOC, John Barkla has never lost his love of plants. Currently John is the president of the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network - an organisation dedicated to advocating for plant conservation and sharing information about Aotearoa's native flora.

On a stroll through Dunedin's town belt John speaks to Claire about the threat status of native plants and the issues they are facing, as well as introducing her to some of the locals. Plus he puts his vote behind a dark horse, outside contender for the Favourite Plant competition - korthalsella lindsayi - the dwarf mistletoe.

Perfecting the pinot

A plant native to Burgundy in France, the Pinot Noir grape has found a home in New Zealand, and is a favourite tipple for many both here and abroad.

But keeping the quality consistent while ensuring yield for the years to come is a balancing act for wine makers.

Katy Gosset meets Minoo Mohajer, a PhD student at Lincoln University, who has found a way to help, using focused grapevine management to control yield while ensuring the favourite drop still tastes just as good.

Listen to more

- Learn more about the life of mistletoe and its vine cousins in Epiphytes - high-rise plants

- It's not just plants that are important in brewing wine - in the episode Using local yeasts to make distinctive NZ beers & wine Peter Griffin learns how New Zealand scientists are looking for native yeasts to give local brews a unique flavour.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details