Tuateawa Plant Spot. Flowering now.

Both of these plants flower directly on the trunk or the stem.

The first is KOHEKOHE. There are some splendid trees in Tuateawa, more than in areas where possums are common. Flowering is just starting and they are quite easy to see once you know where to look. You may also find some orange fruits on the ground below the trees, the product of last years flowering. Stick a few in your pocket and throw them around your place.

TECOMANTHE is the next plant ,sometimes called The Three Kings Vine. This picture is from a specimen on a private section. All the Tecomanthe plants in NZ come from a single remnant plant that survived goat browsing on one of The Three Kings Is. It cultivates well from cutting and also sets seed which is quick to germinate. It is a very robust vine. The leaves are lush and the flowers large with a touch of the tropics about them. The literature says that it can reach a height of 10m. Tuateawa must be a special place because this specimen has reached the tree canopy at around 15m. Plants are frost tender. These days they are widely available in garden centres. There is a nice specimen in the outdoor section of the Weta Gallery in Coromandel. It often has seed pods on it as big as bananas.