One good example previously commented on is Pittosporum cornifolium, tāwhiri karo, a plant endemic to New Zealand occurring naturally in northern South Island, the North Island and the Three Kings. P. cornifolium is a small, slow-growing shrub, reaching up to 2m in height at maturity.
Flowering occurs between June and September, adding interest through winter and when the garden is slowly beginning to show signs of spring.
Its small dainty flowers are sweetly scented, red and yellow in colour and borne in small clusters. Fruiting occurs throughout the year but mainly May-August and when ripe the seed pods open to expose their orange insides full of black sticky seeds.
Interestingly P. cornifolium can grow in three different ways, as an epiphyte, a rupestral, or as a terrestrial. As an epiphyte, it’s found in mature forest, growing on rimu, rātā and pukatea trees. As a rupestral plant, it grows on shallow rocky soils or directly on to rock surfaces.
Finally, as a terrestrial plant, it grows in soil on the ground, and typically found as an understory plant within kauri forests.
P. cornifolium has a tropical-like appearance and airy habit that makes this plant a real feature in the garden or if grown in pots.
P. cornifolium can be seen growing well outside its natural range and flowering happily here at the Dunedin Botanic Garden in the New Zealand native plant collection.
• Garden Life is produced by the Dunedin Botanic Garden. For further information contact Neale McLanachan.
