Autumn Plant Palettes
Hoheria
Hoheria sexstylosa 'purple lace,' Lacebark
Hoheria flowers smell amazing, masses of white. The serrated leaves are often purple underneath year round, adding significant colour to the tree year round (the flowers smell amazing too). Hoheria is an easily maintained tree and a great option for home gardens.
Karaka
Corynocarpus laevigatus
Karaka trees reach 15m in height and spread rapidly, which is a pity for smaller gardens, as they take so much maintenance to keep under control. Most of us would tell you never to plant one, especially in Wellington, so perhaps this is a plant to learn to love if it is already in your neighbourhood. The flowers are tiny clusters of blooms, so you hardly notice them in Summer, but in Autumn the smell of the berries fill the air with a dense, fruity weight. Wood pigeons will travel for Karaka berries, and trees are weighed down. The berries are large, clustered, and heavy, drawing the eye with rich yellow-orange hues. The leaves offset the orange beautifully, enormous and dark green. At any time of year, this is such a beautiful tree. In Autumn the scent and berries steal the show.
Panakenake
Prev. Pratia angulata now Lobelia angulata
Lobelia is a juicy wee groundcover with serrated leaves that will often sit underneath other plants and only become noticeable when masses of white flowers appear. This in itself is beautiful, but the flowers are then overtaken by large purple berries en masse. The purple and white colouring will often overlap significantly, brightening up the ground level of plantings.
Putaputaweta
Carpodetus serratus, Marbleleaf
Putaputaweta has beautiful angled shoots that zig zag all over the plant, and the leaves vary significantly in colour all over. It can also be pruned into any size and shape, making it an absolute treasure in the garden.
I know I say this a lot, but Putaputaweta is my favourite tree. The branches sit horizontal to the ground and set a beautiful shadow. For a purple-green plant, it tends to steal the show.
Sources
All photos CC by NC. Please use as you please, but attribute them to the right person, and they are not to be used for financial gain.
Hoheria sexstylosa: Sutton, J. (2021), 'Hoheria sexstylosa' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/hoheria/hoheria-sexstylosa/). Accessed 2023-06-15.
Corynocarpus laevigatus: Zealandia https://www.visitzealandia.com/Whats-On/ArtMID/1150/ArticleID/428/Media-release-Management-of-controversial-native-plant-up-for-debate-at-Zealandia-w%c4%81nanga Accessed 15 June 2023
Lobelia angulata: Zoe Barry, taken Summer 2023
Carpodetus serratus: Jeremy R. Rolfe, J. R. 'Juvenile foliage' from New Zealand Plant Conservation Network (https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carpodetus-serratus/), Date taken: 06/06/2016