New Zealand native scrambling shrub with elegant pinnate leaves and pendant clusters of large brilliant scarlet beak-shaped flowers in spring. Among the most striking of all native New Zealand plants.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 8–10 | −12.2 °C to 4.4 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H4 | −10 °C to −5 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 3–5 | −5 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Endemic to New Zealand — naturally restricted to a few sites in the eastern North Island
- WARNING: IUCN listed as Critically Endangered in the wild — possibly fewer than 200 wild plants remain, source only nursery-propagated commercial stock
- Major source of nectar for the now-extinct huia and the surviving tūī and bellbird
- Demanding cultivation — needs well-drained soil, shelter from wind, and protection from possums and slugs which devastate young plants
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Kakabeak against your zones