Plant of the Month - August - Kowhai
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