Kowhai
Kowhai is a small woody legume tree native to New Zealand. There are eight species. Sophora microphylla is the most common, and has smaller leaves and flowers than Sophora teraptera. Kowhai trees grow throughout the country and are a common feature in New Zealand gardens.
Most species of Kowhai grow to around 8 m high and have fairly smooth bark with small leaves. They have horn-shaped yellow flowers, which appear in early spring. Their nectar is a favourite food for Tui, Bellbird and Kererū (New Zealand Wood Pigeon). The pods which appear after flowering each contain six or more seeds. Unusually for New Zealand plants, some species of Kowhai are deciduous, losing their tiny, dull green leaves each winter.
South Island Kowhai (Sophora microphylla)
The kowhai is a well known tree that has bright yellow flowers in spring. The flowers contain a large amount of nectar in the flowers which makes them very popular with native birds, particularly tui and bellbird. Native pigeons eat kowhai leaves. Plant kowhai’s to attract native birds into your garden.
Maori used the kowhai to help determine when to plant kumara, i.e. when it flowered in the spring. The wood of the tree was used to make paddles and the head of axes as it was very sturdy. In Southland kowhai’s would have been found on the banks of almost every river and stream; that is where they prefer to live. The kowhai is famous for its bright yellow very hard seeds.
Because kowhai lived on riverbanks the seeds would drop into the water and float great distances before settling into sand and growing. To get kowhai seeds to grow you must soak them well in water first.