Harbingers of spring

With the end of August, the signs of spring are beginning to show all around us. Tūī and kererū have been regularly spotted around the brightly flowering kōwhai, and kōtukutuku/tree fuchsia flowers are strewn along the paths of the valley.

Considered to be the world’s largest tree fuchsia, kōtukutuku is also one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s few deciduous native trees. While deciduous trees in other parts of the world are cued to drop their leaves in response to decreasing sunlight, kōtukutuku are triggered by cooler weather. In addition, kōtukutuku in the colder south lose their leaves more completely and for a longer period than those in warmer areas.

Kōtukutuku provides delicious nectar to tūī, hihi, and korimako (whose faces end up covered in the bright blue pollen) as well as nest sites for kākā and kākāriki.

Photo by Alison Buchan