tree fuchsia with purple flowers loved by bellbirds
- Size
- Height: 8–12 m
- Lifespan
- 50–100 years
- Diet
- Absorbs nutrients through roots. Prefers moist, well-drained soils with partial shade. Flowers best in light gaps. Found along stream banks.
- Habitat
- Forest margins, riverbanks, and damp, open areas. Prefers moist, well-drained soils with partial shade. Often found along stream banks and in regenerating forest. Tolerates shade.
- Range
- Found throughout New Zealand from Northland to Stewart Island. Most common in lowland and coastal forests. Also found on the Chatham Islands. The largest fuchsia species in the world.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- Habitat loss from land clearance is the primary threat. Browsing by introduced possums and deer occurs. No significant commercial use. Climate change affects forest habitats and flowering patterns.
- Population
- Populations are stable in remaining forest fragments. The species is common in lowland forests throughout New Zealand. It is threatened by ongoing habitat loss and browsing by possums. Protection of lowland forest is critical.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
- Human Risk
- harmless
- Handling Note
- native broadleaf tree, edible berries safe to handle
- Conservation Note
- Endemic tree or shrub; widespread in lowland and montane forests throughout New Zealand.
- Assessment
- NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
- Te Ao Māori
- In Māori tradition, kōtukutuku was known for its colourful bark and its fruit. The berries were eaten fresh. The soft wood was used for making rafts (mōkihi) because it is light and waterlogged. The wood was also used for fire-making. The peeling bark was noted for its unusual colours. The tree was also used in traditional medicines.
It is not small. Tree fuchsia is the largest fuchsia species in the world. It grows up to twelve metres in height. It has a spreading crown and soft, fibrous bark. But the bark is the story. It peels in thin, papery strips. It reveals a colourful underbark that ranges from purple to orange. The tree is a rainbow. It is a flash of colour in the green forest. A tree that does not hide its true colours.
The leaves are oval, toothed, and arranged opposite each other along the branches. They are dark green on top and paler underneath. The flowers are unusual. They are greenish-purple and hang from the branches like small lanterns. The flowers turn red when they are ready to be pollinated. This is a signal to the birds that the nectar is ready. The fruit is small, dark purple, and edible. It is sweet and juicy. A tree that changes its flowers to say "come here."
Tree fuchsia grows in damp, open areas. You find it along riverbanks and in regenerating forest. It is fast-growing and short-lived. It is a pioneer of the wet places.
The wood of tree fuchsia is soft and waterlogged. Māori used it for making rafts (mōkihi) because it is light and buoyant. The wood was also used for fire-making. The peeling bark was noted for its unusual colours. The berries were eaten fresh.
To see a tree fuchsia is to see a tree of colours. The stream bank is damp. The fuchsia grows. Its bark peels purple and orange. Greenish-purple flowers hang like lanterns. The birds come. The flowers turn red. The berries ripen.
The tree does not know it is beautiful. It just wants to be pollinated. It carries on.