This year my Kākābeak was a mass of glorious red flowers; the tuis were having a feast – then along came the storm that caused so much devastation in West Auckland. The hail damaged all the flowers and where the foliage brushed against other plants the branches were stripped bare, but more flowers are coming.
Ngutukākā is named for its stunning red flowers, which hang in clusters of 15-20 blooms and are shaped liked a kaka’s beak. Hence Ngutu meaning beak/lips and kākā for the native parrot. According to DoC, Maori used kākābeak / ngutukākā for gifting and trading.
Kākābeak / Ngutukākā grow in open, sunny, steep sites, often on rocky outcrops. Mine is thriving in an exposed site that catches all the easterly wind, which makes it suitable for exposed Waiatarua gardens and, according to DoC, possums are not keen on them – bonus! But watch out for snails as they are partial to the tender foliage. Kākābeak are also prone to leaf miner; I spray with Neem Oil twice a year which helps to control that and a plus for the soil is as kākābeak are part of the pea family it can fix nitrogen in the ground and allowing it to grow in less fertile environments. The seeds are long lived, possibly able to germinate after 30 years. The mature plants have long, trailing stems that form new plants when they come into contact with the ground so one parent plant can cover a large area.
Kākābeak’s conservation status is ‘”Nationally Critical”. It is of special significance to New Zealand with only two species, Clianthus puniceus and Clianthus maximus, both of which are threatened with extinction in the wild. Wild kākābeak are currently known to be at Moturemu Island in the Kaipara Harbour, several locations near Ruatoria on the East Cape, Lake Wai-karemoana, Ruakituri near Wairoa, and in parts of Hawke’s Bay. Introduced plants, such as Mexican daisy, gorse and buddleia com-pete for habitat, threatening its survival.
Plants can grow up to 2-3m tall, but are short lived, only surviving up to 15 – 20 years.
Cathie Wells