Kōwhai are small woody legume trees within the genus Sophora, in the family Fabaceae, that are native to New Zealand. There are eight species, with Sophora microphylla and S. tetraptera being the most recognised as large trees. Their natural habitat is beside streams and on the edges of forest, in lowland or mountain open areas. Kōwhai trees grow throughout the country and are a common feature in New Zealand gardens. Outside of New Zealand, kōwhai tend to be restricted to mild temperate maritime climates.
Prumnopitys taxifolia, the mataī or black pine, is an endemic New Zealand coniferous tree that grows on the North Island and South Island. It also occurs on Stewart Island/Rakiura but is uncommon there.
Sophora microphylla, commonly known as weeping kōwhai and small-leaved kōwhai, is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae native to New Zealand. It is the most widespread of the eight species of kōwhai. It is also called South Island kōwhai, although this name is misleading as it is widely distributed throughout the main islands of the country.
Hoheria is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. All are endemic to New Zealand. The genus name is a latinization of the Māori language name, houhere. That name, as well as lacebark and ribbonwood, are often used as common names. The name lacebark comes from the lace-like fibrous inner bark layer.
The Field Elm cultivar Ulmus minor 'Microphylla Pendula', the Weeping small-leaved elm, was first listed by the Travemünde nursery, Lübeck, and described by Kirchner in Petzold & Kirchner's Arboretum Muscaviense (1864), as Ulmus microphylla pendulaHort.. By the 1870s it was being marketed in nurseries in Europe and America as Ulmus campestris var. microphylla pendula.
Pittosporum obcordatum, commonly called heart-leaved kohuhu or heart-leaved kohukohu or kohukohu, is a species of plant in the Pittosporaceae family. It is endemic to New Zealand, and exists both in North Island and South Island.
Streblus is a genus of flowering plants in the mulberry family, Moraceae. It includes five species native to the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, southern China, and Malesia.
Coprosma rhamnoides is an endemic shrub in New Zealand. It forms a small shrub up to 2 m tall. The leaves are very small, simple and variable in shape. The inconspicuous flowers are unisexual and believed to be wind pollinated. It is widespread in occurrence and can be the dominant small leaved divaricating shrub in some locations
Coprosma propinqua is a New Zealand plant of the genus Coprosma in the family Rubiaceae. It is a widely-distributed small leaved divaricating shrub found throughout New Zealand.
Plagianthus regius or lowland ribbonwood is a tree that is endemic to New Zealand. The common name is simply ribbonwood. The Māori name is manatu but is also known as houi, manaui manatu, puruhi and whauwhi.
Divaricate means branching, or having separation or a degree of separation. The angle between branches is wide.
Pennantia corymbosa, commonly known as kaikomako, is a small dioecious forest tree of New Zealand.
Coprosma rotundifolia is a native forest shrub of New Zealand found on the North, South, and Stewart Islands.
Sophora longicarinata is commonly known as kōwhai or limestone kōwhai that grows naturally in a limited range around northern Nelson and also western Marlborough in New Zealand. This species has quite small leaves compared to other similar species. Originally classified as a species in 1942 and then merged with Sophora microphylla it was reclassified as its own species again in 2001. As its common name suggests it grows in limestone areas. This species does not have a divaricating juvenile phase.
Sophora godleyi, also known as Godley's kōwhai, papa kōwhai or Rangitikei kōwhai, grows naturally in the west of the North Island of New Zealand from Te Kūiti to Manawatū. It is one of eight recognised species of kōwhai and was described as a separate species in 2001, having formerly been considered to be part of species small-leaved kōwhai. It is named after Dr. Eric Godley, former head of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) Botany Division.
Olearia odorata, the scented tree daisy, is a small divaricating shrub endemic to New Zealand, from the plant family Asteraceae. It has small light green leaves with a large amount of interlacing twigs and grows to around 2–4m in height. In spring O. odorata produces many small white flowers.
Hoheria angustifolia, the narrow-leaved lacebark or narrow-leaved houhere, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, endemic to New Zealand. It is an evergreen tree or shrub with a weeping habit and grows to 10 m (33 ft) tall. Known as Houhere or Houhi in Māori, the bark of the tree was occasionally used for traditional textiles, similar to the traditional use of Hoheria populnea.
Sophora chathamica, the coastal kōwhai, sometimes known as Chatham Island kōwhai, is one of 8 species of native sophora or kōwhai in New Zealand and grows naturally in the north-west of the North Island in New Zealand, as far south as the Tongaporutu River in north Taranaki, and as far north as Te Paki. It can also be found growing near Wellington and the Chatham Islands, although these later plantings are thought to be a result of Māori plantings in the late 18th century and early 19th century. Prior to 2001, it was included as variant of Sophora microphylla, therefore references to either Sophora microphylla var. chathamica or Sophora microphylla subsp. microphylla var. chathamica are considered references to coastal kowhai.
Pittosporum divaricatum is a species of plant in the Pittosporaceae family. It is a New Zealand endemic shrub growing up to 3 metres high. It has densely entangled branches growing in a divaricating form typical of many New Zealand small leaved shrubs.
Fuchsia microphylla, also known as small leaf fuchsia and small-leaved fuchsia, is a flowering shrub in the family Onagraceae. The specific epithet (microphylla) was named for the plant's small (micro) leaves (phylla).
Small-leaved milk tree seedling with its juvenile foliage
Foliage with berries
