A medium-sized tree of coastal and lowland forests, mainly in the North Island. Handsome bright-green leaves and fruit in large capsules, attractive to birds.
It it known for its flowers and fruit which grow from the woody trunk and branches rather than from the leaf tips – a phenomenon known as cauliflory.
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Description
Kohekohe is a medium-sized tree with unusual and attractive flowers and seeds.
The seeds are a great food source for birds.
They are easy to grow, if you can get the seeds (before the birds!)
Seed Collection
Seeds are usually ready to collect in March – but keep your eyes peeled as the birds (or rats) will make off with the seeds quickly.
There are three levels of packaging: spherical capsules about 25 mm in diameter contain three or four orange or scarlet cells. Each of these usually contains two hard seeds.
Squeeze out the seeds and rinse off the orange flesh.
If you find only empty capsules then someone has beaten you to the fruit. Try picking the capsules when they are still closed and watch them daily until the capsules split open.
Kohekohe Seeds - all 3 stages
Seeds removed from their orange container
Germination
The seeds need to be planted immediately after collection, as they won’t keep well.
Remove the orange flesh and wash them – the flesh may inhibit germination.
Press the seeds into seed-raising mix and cover them with 5-10mm of seed raising mix. You can put a couple of hundred seeds in a seed tray – they germinate fast and you can quickly remove densely planted seedlings as they won’t be there for long.
The plants will germinate very quickly and very reliably.
Seedlings in seed tray
Seedlings in seed tray
Seedlings showing roots
Seedlings in seed tray
Seedlings showing roots
Seedlings showing roots
Growing On
Transferring kohekohe into bags
Moving kohekohe from seed tray
Kohekohe in seed tray and PB3 bags
Kohekohe in PB3 bags
Kohekohe in PB3 bags
Kohekohe moved to PB 3/4 bags
Kohekohe in PB3/4 bags
Kohekohe in bags
Planting
Usually happiest planted in partial shade with other trees. They don’t tend to do well planted by themselves.
The large, glossy leaves are frost-tender. This limits kohekohe to growing in warmer lowland forest habitats.
External Links
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