In Southland, the flowering of the kowhai heralds the start of spring. There are up to seven different kowhai species, a number of which grow in Southland but Sophora microphylla (South Island kowhai) is the only one that grows naturally in Southland.
Every garden should include kowhai trees as they are the best plants for attracing honey eating birds into your garden. Tui and bellbirds are particularly attracted to the yellow flowers and acrobatically hang on the tree to get nectar out. Native wood pigeons feast on kowhai leaves often stripping branches bare (but they recover!).
South Island kowhai is naturally a tree of riverbanks - very few areas of kowhai lined rivers remain in Southland but at Kauana near Winton a covenant called “Kohwai Reach” is the best place to see kowhai in their natural environment. The seed of kowhai is very hard and requires soaking before sowing (in the wild, seeds would drop into rivers, soften and plant themselves further along the riverbank). Come and grow a kowhai at the Community Nursery.
Posted: 14 August 2011
Weeping Mapou -Myrsine divaricata
A small tree, with tangly braches and heart shaped leaves, it is distinctive for having a cascading “weeping” habit. This tree loves wet ground but as well as its form it rewards us in autumn with beautiful purple berries.
The photos do not do this plant justice so come along to the nursery and have a look - it is a must for every Southland restoration proje ct or garden.
Posted: 6 June 2011
Halls totara is a common sight in Otatara. However the totara forest on sand dunes at Otatara are nationally significant being a rare forest type now in New Zealand. Totara are fruiting very well at the moment - Totara is a “podocarp” (like rimu and kahikatea), meaning it has a seed with a foot - the seed is attached to the fruit, not inside it. The seed itself stays green unlike most seeds that change colour when ripe.
The best places to see totara forest is Kilmock Bush and other Sandy Point forests. It has a distinctively bare understory, grows on sandy dry soils and often develops interesting twisted multi stemmed trunk shapes. Totara is one of the few large trees able to be planted in the early stages of a restoration project, it survives wind and full sun but dislikes wet ground.
Posted: 5 May 2011
Cuttings Training Days in June - free propagation training sessions 10 June 2011 and 17 June 2011 - 10am to noon. Learn how to propagate native plants and grow the plants that you want for your own project or contribute to nursery plants for next season. Book by sending an email
Posted: 5 May 2011
Fantails are very common at this time of the year, having produced young and chasing insects during the last autumn weather before winter. Winter has a devastating effect on small birds like the fantail but during the season they breed prolifically and are a common companion in the garden. You can attract small insect eating birds to your garden by planting a range of tangly shrubs like Coprosma that provide nesting habitat and food - insects.
It is seed collecting time so dont delay - come to the nursery on Friday morning for a hands on seed collecting session and look at the seed section of this website for additional information
Posted: 2 April 2011
