Facts about kakabeak

Pink kakabeak

The kowhai ngutukaka’s beautiful flowers and edible seedpods have long made this plant attractive to gardeners and were used by Maori for gifting and trading. In addition its seed remains viable for a long time and therefore can be stored and transported easily.

Does it grow near where I live?

We don’t know what the pre-human distribution of kowhai ngutukaka was as Maori are thought to have transported it around the country. We do know that kowhai ngutukaka once grew in Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel, around Lake Waikaremoana, the East Cape and Hawke's Bay.

Today kowhai ngutukaka grows on Moturemu Island in the Kaipara harbour, at several sites on the East Cape, Te Urewera National Park, near Wairoa, and in Boundary Stream Mainland Island in Hawke's Bay.

Where does it like to grow?

Kowhai ngutukaka grows in open, sunny, steep sites, often on rocky outcrops, slips, the bases of cliffs or edges of lakes and streams. It is a relatively short-lived plant, sometimes lasting 15-20 years. Kowhai ngutukaka has a long-lived seed which may still be able to germinate 30 years after being produced, creating a ‘seed bank’ that holds many seeds ready to germinate when conditions suit. This enables it to grow in shrubland which is not permanently open but is frequently disturbed. The seeds wait for light gaps to appear, e.g. following a treefall or a slip, and then germinate in response.

Being a member of the pea family kowhai ngutukaka can fix nitrogen, enabling it to grow in infertile sites.