Climbing Broom

Botanical name: Carmichaelia kirkii
Synonyms: Carmichaelia gracilis, Carmichaelia kirkii var. strigosa
Common name(s): Climbing broom, Kirk’s broom

About:
A rare and unusual native broom with a climbing, scrambling or sprawling habit. Its interlacing green to bronze-brown stems often climb through neighbouring shrubs, making it one of the most distinctive species in the genus. It produces attractive white to cream pea flowers with purple markings, followed by sharply beaked pods containing pale mottled seeds.

Natural habitat:
Grey scrub, riverbank shrublands, gorges, poorly drained river terraces, podocarp forest margins, carex wetlands and kahikatea forest.

Growing environment:
Grows best in full sun to light shade with moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Tolerates dry, damp or occasionally wet conditions once established, but dislikes humidity and heavy shade.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand. Found in scattered populations in the eastern South Island, from the Awatere River south to Otago.

Height:
1–3 m high, with scrambling stems sometimes extending 2–4 m.

Width:
Usually spreads 1–3 m depending on support and growing conditions.

Flowering:
November – January

Fruiting:
January – June

Uses:

• Native climber planting
• Grey scrub restoration
• River terrace revegetation
• Retaining wall planting
• Steep bank planting
• Habitat restoration
• Rare plant conservation
• Pollinator support

Appearance:

Growth habit:
Scrambling, climbing or sprawling shrub with many interlacing stems, often using surrounding vegetation for support.

Leaves:
Leaves are few and mostly present on seedlings, young plants or plants growing in shaded, moist situations. They usually have 1–5 small fleshy leaflets.

Stems:
Slender, rounded to slightly grooved cladodes, green to bronze-green or greyish brown, forming a loose tangled framework.

Flowers:
White to cream pea flowers with a darker red-purple to purple centre and veins, produced in small clusters along the stems.

Fruit:
Small dry pods with a prominent sharp beak, partially splitting at maturity to release off-white seeds mottled with black or dark purple.

Ecology:
A specialised component of eastern South Island shrublands, wetlands and podocarp forest margins. Its flowers support native insects, while its climbing habit allows it to occupy spaces within shrubs and open forest edges.

Associated habitats:
Grey scrub, river terraces, gorges, stream banks, wetlands, tōtara forest, kahikatea forest and shrubland margins.

How to grow:
Grow in full sun to light shade with support from another shrub, fence, wall or bank. Best in moist, fertile, well-drained soil, though established plants tolerate dry periods. Avoid humid, stagnant or heavily shaded sites.

Propagation:
Readily propagated from seed or semi-hardwood cuttings.

Cultural use:
Part of New Zealand’s distinctive native broom flora and notable as the only strongly climbing or scrambling member commonly recognised among the native brooms.

Garden value:
A beautiful and unusual native climber valued for its interlacing stems, attractive flowers and rarity. Excellent for growing through shrubs, over retaining walls or across steep banks where its scrambling habit can be shown naturally.