edenhana

Kōtukutuku

The world's largest fuchsia species, and one of only a small number of genuinely deciduous native New Zealand trees, dropping its leaves over winter when almost everything else in this site's native plant data stays evergreen. In ideal sheltered, moist conditions it can reach up to 15m, though cultivated garden specimens are usually a good deal smaller. Its most distinctive feature is bark that peels away on its own in red papery strips, revealing pale bark underneath. Flowers change colour as they age, from blue-green through to purple-red, a signal to the tūī, bellbird and silvereye that pollinate them, and the pollen itself is an unusual blue. Its soft leaves and brittle branches mean it needs real shelter from wind, and consistent moisture, including daily watering in hot weather while it's young and establishing.

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Sun
partial sun
Water
high
Spacing
400cm
Difficulty
intermediate
Grows in
Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
Mature height
10m
Flowering season
Sep, Oct, Nov
Attracts wildlife
Tūī, Bellbird/korimako, Silvereye/tauhou
Evergreen
No, deciduous

When to plant by region

In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: March-April and September-October. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: September-October.

Growing stages

  1. Planting & establishmentAutumn or spring

    • Choose a sheltered position out of the wind; soft leaves and brittle branches don't cope well with exposure
    • Plant into well-drained but consistently moist soil, ideally in dappled sun or partial shade
    • Water daily in hot weather while young plants establish

  2. Early growth

    • Keep shelter and consistent moisture up through the first couple of years
    • The distinctive red, papery peeling bark becomes more noticeable as the trunk matures

  3. FloweringSpring

    • Flowers shift colour with age, from blue-green to purple-red, signalling ripeness to feeding tūī, bellbird and silvereye
    • Small purple-black konini berries follow flowering

  4. Seasonal leaf dropAutumn into winter

    • Leaves drop over winter, unlike almost every other native on this site; this is normal seasonal behaviour, not a sign of poor health

  5. Maturity

    • Can reach up to 15m in ideal sheltered, moist conditions, though most garden specimens stay considerably smaller
    • Wind shelter and consistent moisture remain the main ongoing requirements for a healthy mature tree

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