Kohekohe

Scientific name: Dysoxylum spectabile
English name: New Zealand Mahogany

Tree (10m - 15m) - native to the Wellington Region
Suits: damp, shade, partial shade, shelter, coastal forest garden, coastal and dune garden, wetlands and water features

About Kohekohe

Kohekohe is one of the most handsome of our coastal trees that was once very common. Easy to grow and works well in a variety of situations and moisture levels. Kohekohe is easily grown from seed and can reaching a maximum height of 15m in a sheltered position. Large glossy green leaves and sweet-scented, orchid-like flowers grow straight from the trunk or large branches. Kohekohe flowers are an important and favored source of floral nectar for tūī, bellbird and hihi.

The flowers produce green golf-ball-sized fruit capsules the following year. A bright orange jelly covering the seed is then seen when the fruit capsule is ripe and breaks up. They make a great source of food for a range of birds, such as kererū and kōkako.

However this important tree is, sadly, often overlooked when it comes to attracting birds to gardens.

Provides for birds