Ornamental flower bulbs are an increasingly important crop in New Zealand. In general, production is dependent on overseas breeding programmes and regular imports of propagation material, in particular from The Netherlands. To enable the implementation of appropriate phytosanitary controls, a targeted survey was done in 2005–2006 to determine the presence of viruses in the most important bulb genera. Using serological and molecular methods, 10 viruses (Alstroemeria mosaic virus, Freesia sneak virus [syn. Freesia leaf necrosis-associated ophiovirus], Hippeastrum mosaic virus, Hyacinth mosaic virus, Nerine latent virus, Nerine yellow stripe virus, Ornithogalum virus 3, Tulip mosaic virus, Veltheimia mosaic virus and Vallota mosaic virus) were identified for the first time in New Zealand. In addition eleven new hosts of viruses reported previously in New Zealand were detected; these new associations include one not reported previously overseas (Tomato spotted wilt virus in Ornithogalum). None of the newly reported viruses cause significant diseases and it is unlikely that they will affect bulb production significantly.