A beautiful and highly rewarding New Zealand native tree, Large-leaved Kōwhai is distinguished by its larger foliage and impressive golden-yellow flowers. It typically begins flowering at a younger age than Small-leaved Kōwhai and produces large, showy blooms rich in nectar, making it an outstanding specimen tree for gardens, riparian plantings, and wildlife-friendly landscapes.
🌱 Plant Facts
• Growth habit: Small to medium-sized evergreen to semi-deciduous native tree
• Foliage: Larger compound leaves and leaflets than Sophora microphylla
• Flowers: Large, pendulous golden-yellow flowers, often with greenish tones
• Flowering: Mainly October–December, occasionally beginning in September
• Distinctive feature: Generally flowers at a younger age and produces larger flowers than Sophora microphylla
• Fruit: Dry brown, constricted pea-like seed pods containing hard seeds
• Fruiting: October–May
• Height: Up to 7 m
🌍 Natural Habitat
• Coastal and lowland native forest
• River margins and riparian forest
• Lake margins
• Low native scrub
• Ignimbrite cliffs and rocky river environments
• Occasionally montane riparian forest
🌿 Growing Environment
• Full sun to partial shade
• Frost tolerant
• Coastal tolerant
• Free-draining soils
• Moist soils also suitable where drainage is adequate
Large-leaved Kōwhai performs particularly well in sunny, open positions and along waterways. Its relatively compact mature size and spectacular flowering display make it an excellent alternative to larger-growing Kōwhai species for gardens and landscape plantings.
📍 Endemic Distribution
• Endemic to New Zealand
• Naturally restricted to the eastern and central North Island
• Occurs from East Cape south to the Wairarapa
• Extends west towards Taihape and Lake Taupō
• Also naturally occurs along the Waikato River to approximately Lake Karāpiro
• Widely cultivated outside its natural range and may naturalise around planted populations
🌾 Uses
• Native bird food and attractant
• Excellent nectar source for tūī, bellbirds/korimako and other nectar-feeding wildlife
• Bee and pollinator food
• Riparian plantings
• Native restoration planting
• Feature and specimen tree
• Large gardens and parks
• Spectacular spring flowering
🪴 Cultivation Notes (Live Plant)
An attractive and relatively compact Kōwhai that is easy to establish in a sunny or lightly shaded position with good drainage. Its tendency to flower while comparatively young makes it particularly rewarding as a garden specimen. Once established it is hardy and frost tolerant, while its abundant nectar-rich flowers provide an excellent seasonal food source for native birds and pollinators.
📏 Approximate product size:
• PB3/4 (5–20 cm, 350 ml)
• PB3 (20–70 cm, 1.5 L)
• PB8 (50 cm+, 3.5 L)
• PB18 (1 m+, 8.5 L)
⏱️ Timeframe:
We ship Monday – Wednesday for South Island customers and Monday/Tuesday for Rural and North Island customers. Orders placed outside these days will be fulfilled the following week.
📦 Local pick ups and/or deliveries will be made by arrangement.
🌱 We’ll donate $1 per plant sold to national conservation efforts, helping to protect and restore New Zealand’s natural heritage.
A beautiful and highly rewarding New Zealand native tree, Large-leaved Kōwhai is distinguished by its larger foliage and impressive golden-yellow flowers. It typically begins flowering at a younger age than Small-leaved Kōwhai and produces large, showy blooms rich in nectar, making it an outstanding specimen tree for gardens, riparian plantings, and wildlife-friendly landscapes.
🌱 Plant Facts
• Growth habit: Small to medium-sized evergreen to semi-deciduous native tree
• Foliage: Larger compound leaves and leaflets than Sophora microphylla
• Flowers: Large, pendulous golden-yellow flowers, often with greenish tones
• Flowering: Mainly October–December, occasionally beginning in September
• Distinctive feature: Generally flowers at a younger age and produces larger flowers than Sophora microphylla
• Fruit: Dry brown, constricted pea-like seed pods containing hard seeds
• Fruiting: October–May
• Height: Up to 7 m
🌍 Natural Habitat
• Coastal and lowland native forest
• River margins and riparian forest
• Lake margins
• Low native scrub
• Ignimbrite cliffs and rocky river environments
• Occasionally montane riparian forest
🌿 Growing Environment
• Full sun to partial shade
• Frost tolerant
• Coastal tolerant
• Free-draining soils
• Moist soils also suitable where drainage is adequate
Large-leaved Kōwhai performs particularly well in sunny, open positions and along waterways. Its relatively compact mature size and spectacular flowering display make it an excellent alternative to larger-growing Kōwhai species for gardens and landscape plantings.
📍 Endemic Distribution
• Endemic to New Zealand
• Naturally restricted to the eastern and central North Island
• Occurs from East Cape south to the Wairarapa
• Extends west towards Taihape and Lake Taupō
• Also naturally occurs along the Waikato River to approximately Lake Karāpiro
• Widely cultivated outside its natural range and may naturalise around planted populations
🌾 Uses
• Native bird food and attractant
• Excellent nectar source for tūī, bellbirds/korimako and other nectar-feeding wildlife
• Bee and pollinator food
• Riparian plantings
• Native restoration planting
• Feature and specimen tree
• Large gardens and parks
• Spectacular spring flowering
🪴 Cultivation Notes (Live Plant)
An attractive and relatively compact Kōwhai that is easy to establish in a sunny or lightly shaded position with good drainage. Its tendency to flower while comparatively young makes it particularly rewarding as a garden specimen. Once established it is hardy and frost tolerant, while its abundant nectar-rich flowers provide an excellent seasonal food source for native birds and pollinators.
📏 Approximate product size:
• PB3/4 (5–20 cm, 350 ml)
• PB3 (20–70 cm, 1.5 L)
• PB8 (50 cm+, 3.5 L)
• PB18 (1 m+, 8.5 L)
⏱️ Timeframe:
We ship Monday – Wednesday for South Island customers and Monday/Tuesday for Rural and North Island customers. Orders placed outside these days will be fulfilled the following week.
📦 Local pick ups and/or deliveries will be made by arrangement.
🌱 We’ll donate $1 per plant sold to national conservation efforts, helping to protect and restore New Zealand’s natural heritage.
