NZ Natives that awaken in Spring
Kōwhai
Although the Kōwhai can look a little dull in winter, in springtime, it bursts into flower and shines its bright yellow flowers for all to see. The nectar of these bright flowers is enjoyed by our native birds such as the tūī, kereru, kaka, and bellbird. Meaning yellow, in Te Reo Māori, Kōwhai were important to Māori, historically as the flowering of the bright leaves signalled the winter was over and it was time to plant Kumara.
Kōtukutuku
Kōtukutuku (Fuchsia excorticata) is considered to be the world’s largest fuchsia. Attractive, small flowers appear in spring. They change from greenish-yellow to purple-red. If you plant the Kōtukutuku in your garden, you will be visited by honey-eating birds, especially tūī, bellbirds and silvereyes as the flowers are rich in nectar. The dark purple berries, known as kōnini by Māori, are edible and taste like tamarillos. Unfortunately, Possums love tree fuchsia and have eaten it out of many locations.
Veronica / Hebe
Shrubby veronica (previously known as Hebe) offers a beautiful purple-pink flower which stays in place and will keep decorating the beautiful dark green leaves during most of the winter. Its bushy aspect and ornamental appeal will engage the by-goer along edges, flower beds, and also pots and garden boxes on the terrace. It can grow into a sprawling shrub so needs to be pruned to keep in shape. Hebe resists freezing when winters are cold down to more or less 14°F (-10°C). But it still is a bit fragile during the first years after planting. An added bonus is that they self-seed.
Chatham Island Forget-me-not
The Chatham Island forget-me-not (Myosotidium hortensia) grows in exposed coastal locations and has become a popular display flower in gardens on the mainland of New Zealand. Botanically speaking it is not a true forget-me-not, but its flowers are very similar. It produces a large stalk of deep-blue flowers in spring. There is also a rarer, white form. They can be tricky to grow, but if they are happy and thrive we are rewarded by those stunning blue flowers, a rare colour among our natives.