Tororaro (shrubby muehlenbeckia)
A distinctive tangled, divaricating shrub (Muehlenbeckia astonii) that is Nationally Endangered in the wild, making garden cultivation genuinely valuable for its conservation. Its dense wiry structure provides good cover for native geckos. Small cream flowers appear in summer, followed by white fleshy fruit. Very hardy and drought-tolerant once established, but slow-growing.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- low
- Spacing
- 150cm
- Difficulty
- beginner
- 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
- 2.5m
- Flowering season
- Jan, Dec
- Attracts wildlife
- Native geckos
- Evergreen
- No, deciduous
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: March-April and September-November. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: September-November.
Growing stages
Planting & establishmentFirst few months
- Water while establishing; this Nationally Endangered species is drought-tolerant only once settled in
- Full sun position suits its tough, wind-hardy nature
Early growthFirst 1-2 years
- Growth is slow, so be patient as the tangled, divaricating branch structure develops
- Semi-deciduous, so some leaf drop is normal and not a sign of trouble
- Dense wiry structure begins providing cover for native geckos even while young
FloweringDecember-January (January further south)
- Small cream flowers appear in summer on established plants
- Flowers are followed by white fleshy fruit
Maturity
- Continues providing valuable gecko cover in its tangled branch structure
- Garden cultivation of this Nationally Endangered shrub is genuinely valuable for conservation