Botanical name:

Sophora chathamica

Common name(s):

Kowhai, Coastal Kowhai

About:

The Coastal Kōwhai is an early-flowering kowhai tree, which is known for its striking appearance, bears leaves that can grow to a length of 150mm. These leaves consist of individual leaflets ranging in size from 6mm to 16mm long and 4mm to 8mm wide, which slightly overlap one another and gradually decrease in size toward the leaf tip. The tree showcases captivating bunches of drooping yellow flowers that add to its visual appeal, as well as producing dry, ridged, and knobbly seed pods that measure between 50mm and 180mm in length, containing hard yellow seeds. Juvenile and adult forms of the tree are quite similar in appearance.

Natural habitat:

Primarily a species of coastal forest, often on cliff faces or banks overlooking estuarine rivers or inlets. Occasionally found in swamp forest.

Growing environment:

Frost, Sun, Drought, Salt & Coastal tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

A primarily coastal species known from North, South and Chatham Islands but probably only indigenous to the northern half of the North Island, where it is common in the west from the Tongaporutu River to Te Paki. In the east it is abundant south to about Thames, so far it has not been reported south and east of there. Very common around Auckland, the Hauraki Gulf and from Port Waikato south to Kawhia. There are some inland occurrences in the lower Waikato Basin. Disjunct occurrences around Wellington, the Chatham Islands and Whanganui Inlet may result from deliberate plantings by the Maori.

Height: 20m

Flowering: 

August-November with a yellow coloured flower/s

Fruiting:

October-September

Uses:

Bird food / Attractant, Bee food.

How to grow:

Easy from seed, provided the hard seed shell is nicked first with a knife or rubbed with sandpaper to expose the endosperm. Soaking seed treated this way overnight often helps speed up germination. Can also be grown with difficulty from cuttings.

**Seed requires scarification before sowing. Mechanical scarification works best for this species. Reasonable results can also be achieved with hot water treatment.