Rewarewa

Scientific name: Knightia excelsa
English name: New Zealand honeysuckle

Tree (over 15m) - native to the Wellington Region
Suits: damp, dry, partial shade, sunny, shelter, coastal forest garden

About Rewarewa

Attractive and ornamental, rewarewa is one of our iconic trees to New Zealand. In the family of Proteaceae, rewarewa can almost be seen as a relic from the old Gondwana land. Popular with with birds and other wildlife for its nectar this is a must tree for every coastal forest garden. It has a narrow growth and almost poplar shaped habit. Its adult leaves are tough and leathery and 15 cm long while the juvenile plant have softer elongated leaves up to 25 cm long with well serrated edges.

Easily recognised in forest by the attractive dark red, bottle brush like flowers appearing in dense clusters in late spring. The flowers pollinated largely by birds such as tui, bellbird and silvereye, which seek the nectar from the flowers, but also by native bees and geckos.

The seeds are produced in woody capsules that takes a year to ripe. The opened pods splitts into two halves to release wind dispersed winged seeds.

Provides for birds