h-member-login

MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER  header call 
Melody sales@mangawhaifocus.co.nz 021454814
Nadia n.lewis@xtra.co.nz 021677978
Reporting: Julia news@mangawhaifocus.co.nz 0274641673
 Accounts: Richard info@mangawhaifocus.co.nz 021678358

 

Archives

Gardening with Gael - Let me spell it out for you....

 

Whau-106Recognising a plant from its leaf is not a simple task. Recently a friend gave me some plants from cuttings she has grown which we were sure were Hibiscus mutabilis, the hibiscus with the fluffy colour changing flowers, opening white or pink and changing to red. As with all hibiscus they tend to flower late summer and well into autumn.

To my surprise several are already flowering and have turned out to be single red abutilons or Chinese lanterns. I had a closer look at the leaves of both from plants already established. Very, very similar. Weeding around them ready for the Garden Ramble, on close inspection, I think half of them may well be the hibiscus. I’ll have to wait and see. Both plants have a large simple leaf also called a cordate leaf which I discovered also represents this week’s plant!

Flowering right now on the margins of the bush is a lime green tree festooned with layers of white flowers. These flowers appear between spring and mid summer and are in full flower in my garden now. The light large simple leaves (called cordate) have a tropical appearance and provide a light contrast to surrounding dark bush. Tropical is an apt description because this tree does not tolerate frosts and requires a location that is sunny or partly shady. 

Entelea arborescens or ‘Whau’ was one of the first trees I planted here by the beach. Back then, 35 years ago I had no idea how to pronounce it. I called it ‘Wow’, then ‘Fow’ but mostly I spelt it out. ‘It’s a w-h-a-u’ I’d say. I was fascinated by the history of the tree and the fact that the wood was light as balsa and used by Maori for fishing floats. I imagined I may one day have a use for it. The correct pronunciation is ‘Fo’. 

Whau prefer a moist environment. Although they are growing well here on the sand, there is an established layer of leaf mould keeping them moist. I don’t have one at the Block in spite of it being an entirely ideal environment. Maybe possums have dealt to them in the past. 

When the flowers finish, almost immediately bunches of seed capsules appear across the top of the branches. Whau are extremely efficient at distributing their seed and growing rapidly in any area where there is light. They only live around ten years and my original tree died years ago. They grow so fast and well that I have never noticed an absence. The tree just seems to move along the margins of the bush, a new one filling in any gap.

Entelea is endemic to New Zealand and consists of just one species. According to Google, the large leaf form which can be 20x25cm, is reminiscent in form to hollyhocks, Chinese lanterns, hibiscus and other members of the mallow family. The whau leaf is more heart shaped but I can see they are definitely a large simple version.

‘Whau’ was one of the first trees I planted here by the beach, and prefer a moist environment.

 
ABOUT US
  CHECK IT OUT
The Mangawhai Focus is the only 'Mangawhai' community Newspaper and is the paper of choice within the local area.

For more information on distribution and circulation please 
click here
 

Directory

Archives

Contact Us


 

 

 

FOLLOW US

facebook   twitter   174855-378

CONTACT US


Sales: 021 454814
  sales@mangawhaifocus.co.nz
Editorial: 027 4641673
  news@mangawhaifocus.co.nz
Office: 021 678357
  info@mangawhaifocus.co.nz