This time of the year a wonderful Pohutukawa “shrub” is flowering its little heads off: Metrosideros carminia known as the crimson rata; a Native in the North Island all the way down to Taranaki and Hawkes Bay. It comes as a shrub when you get them from cuttings, but they’ll move up like tree climbers when they emerge from seeds. Pollinators love them – and so do I.




Favourite food of tui and bellbirds, as well as silvereyes and wood pigeons (kereru). Kowhai come in many different species and heights; there are fabulous, gnarled forms which, in themselves, are beautifully sculptured. Divaricating shrubs!!



Muehlenbeckia astonii. A Native plant that could be your new hedge, or your sculpted shrub, or even a suitable nesting site for native birds. It’s all about elegant little leaves, hanging from a zig-zagging system of branches that you will only find in Aotearoa. In winter the whole shrub will change colours to a Dark-Orange that will stand out, no matter what the weather is like. White flowers – and all this is endemic.




May I introduce you to the Corokia - another yellow Native of our country. It’s full of flowers at this time of the year; also with zig-zag twigs and Endemic distribution – we know how to grow weird and wonderful natives! Often on these flowering shrubs you will find native bees sucking nectar for their off-spring, pollinating the flowers and creating large amounts of seeds for our landscapes



Horopito (Pseudowintera colorata) is another one of those shrubs that stands out in its colour – It’s native to New Zealand, and our local “garden fiddlers” have managed to breed a range of varieties in all sorts of colours. If you want to see them spectacularly bunched together in our native habitat, go to the Catlins: you’ll fall in love with them! Oh – and the leaves are edible… lovely and hot.



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This time of the year a wonderful Pohutukawa “shrub” is flowering its little heads off: Metrosideros carminia known as the crimson rata; a Native in the North Island all the way down to Taranaki and Hawkes Bay. It comes as a shrub when you get them from cuttings, but they’ll move up like tree climbers when they emerge from seeds. Pollinators love them – and so do I.

 Favourite food of tui and bellbirds, as well as silvereyes and wood pigeons (kereru). Kowhai come in many different species and heights; there are fabulous, gnarled forms which, in themselves, are beautifully sculptured.&nbsp;Divaricating shrubs!!

Muehlenbeckia astonii. A Native plant that could be your new hedge, or your sculpted shrub, or even a suitable nesting site for native birds. It’s all about elegant little leaves, hanging from a zig-zagging system of branches that you will only find in Aotearoa. In winter the whole shrub will change colours to a Dark-Orange that will stand out, no matter what the weather is like.&nbsp;White flowers – and all this is endemic.

 May I introduce you to the Corokia - another yellow Native of our country. It’s full of flowers at this time of the year; also with zig-zag twigs and Endemic distribution – we know how to grow weird and wonderful natives!&nbsp;Often on these flowering shrubs you will find native bees sucking nectar for their off-spring, pollinating the flowers and creating large amounts of seeds for our landscapes

Horopito&nbsp;(Pseudowintera colorata) is another one of those shrubs that stands out in its colour – It’s native to New Zealand, and our local “garden fiddlers” have managed to breed a range of varieties in all sorts of colours. If you want to see them spectacularly bunched together in our native habitat, go to the Catlins: you’ll fall in love with them! Oh – and the leaves are edible… lovely and hot.

LISTEN ABOVE

Jack Tame’s crisp perspective, style and enthusiasm makes for refreshing and entertaining Saturday morning radio on Newstalk ZB.

News, sport, books, music, gardens and celebrities – what better way to spend your Saturdays?

Jack Tame’s crisp perspective, style and enthusiasm makes for refreshing and entertaining Saturday morning radio on Newstalk ZB. News, sport, books, music, gardens and celebrities – what better way to spend your Saturdays?

Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Ruud Kleinpaste: Colourful native plants to look for

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a3e45ae2-a444-418a-8733-b387017c979e/transcript

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