Spring plant palettes
Kopakopa
Chatham Island Forget Me Not, Kopakopa/kopukapuka, Mysotidium hortensa
Kopakopa brighten up the garden so well, the leaves are shiny and bright, and the enormous blue flower heads last for ages.
Kōtukutuku
Tree Fuchsia, Fuchsia Excorticata
Kōtukutuku has bright orange, peeling bark. You can see it from miles away and as it seems to prefer the darker, damper end of a garden, it really brightens up an area and gives it a spooky, magical feeling. The flowers are bright blue, pink and purple, looking otherworldly and sometimes shooting straight from the trunk of the tree. This is truly a magical tree with a unique colour palette.
Tikumu
Marlborough Rock Daisy, Pachystegia insignis.
Tikumu like to be put in the ground, ignored, and watered occasionally. This makes them a fantastic plant for many gardeners! The large leathery brown and green leaves look fantastic against the light brown/yellow flower heads.
Harakere/Harakeke
Phormium Tenax, flax
Harakeke is an architectural plant and great for its shape overall, in addition the darkness around the base, dark flower spike and yellow highlights in the red flower, draw the eye. It also attracts so many birds! When I was a kid I would tip all of the nectar out of the flowers into my mouth. The colours feel mature to me- not playful, but quite serious, and the black flower spikes are so stunning against the leaves.
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.
Mysotidium Hortensa: Melanie Lovell-Smith. Maggy Wassilieff, 'Horticultural use of native plants - The native garden', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/10454/chatham-island-forget-me-not (accessed 11 February 2023)
Fuchsia Exorticata: Ali MCDonald https://www.visitzealandia.com/Whats-On/ArtMID/1150/ArticleID/6/K%C5%8Dtukutuku-flowers Accessed 15.06.23
Pachystegia Rufa: Pachystegia rufa - Christchurch by dinkum https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pachystegia_rufa_-_Christchurch.jpg Accessed 11 February 2023
Phormium Tenax: Gough's nurseries https://www.goughsnurseries.co.nz/plant/phormium-tenax Accessed 15.06.23