Plants of the Month - October
Spring is such an exciting time with so many plants flowering - just a few of the most spectacular are native clematis, tree fuchsia and kohuhu.
There are nine native clematis in New Zealand, the most common in Southland is the large flowered Clematis paniculata. In October you will see flowers climbing through to the canopy. Clematis have male and female flowers on separate plants - the female flower being much smaller than the male and only the female flower will produce seeds. Tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) is one of the best plants for nectar feeding birds. The tui and bellbird thrive on the delicate flowers which often form before new leaves are produced in very early spring. Fuchsia go on producing flowers for much of the summer and so provide a continuous source of nectar for native honeyeating birds. Kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium) is a very common native plant used for shelter and restoration planting. In early spring it is covered in small dark pink flowers that are delightfully scented, especially on warm calm evenings. Other, much rarer native scented plants are Olearia polita and Olearia fragrantissima. Olearia poilta has tiny white flowers in October while Olearia fragrantissima has larger yellow flowers in November - both are highly scented, smelling of peach or apricot - a must for any native garden.
Posted: 17 October 2011