Photo of the week: Kōtukutuku in bloom

Department of Conservation —  07/09/2016

Last week marked the official start of spring!

To celebrate today’s photo is of New Zealand’s native kōtukutuku/tree fuchsia blooming in Catchpool Valley near Wellington.

Kōtukutuku/tree fuchsia flowers. Photo: Brent Tandy.

The tree fuchsia is found throughout New Zealand and as far south as the Auckland Islands. The flowers are rich in nectar and are often visited by honey-eating birds such as tūī, bellbirds and silvereyes.

The plant also seems to be a preferred food source for possums and they pose a serious threat to this plant. They will often browse on an individual tree to the point of defoliation, causing the tree to die.

Photo: Brent Tandy.

2 responses to Photo of the week: Kōtukutuku in bloom

  1. 

    Everything native and New Zealand is incredible. I’m in love with this place, its isolation is its glory, yet why I must wait so long to see it.

  2. 
    Jane Hughes 07/09/2016 at 8:49 am

    What a beautiful photo!