Key Takeaways
- The Southern Hemisphere’s Christmas season coincides with peak flowering season, making it a time of rebirth and reproduction for plants.
- Plants use various methods to attract and reward animal visitors to facilitate pollination, including color, shape, scent, and taste.
- New Zealand’s native flowers, such as pōhutukawa, mānuka, and ngutukākā, have unique characteristics and adaptations to attract specific pollinators.
- Many native flowers are at risk due to threats such as myrtle rust, possums, and the loss of pollinators.
- It is essential to take responsibility for protecting and preserving New Zealand’s unique and threatened native flora.
Introduction to Flower Biology
The plants associated with Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere, such as holly, ivy, and mistletoe, are celebrated for their evergreen leaves and fruits. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas falls during peak flowering season, a time of rebirth and reproduction. This is a critical period for plants, as they need to find and attract mates to facilitate pollination. Since plants cannot sense or move towards their mates, they rely on various methods to attract animal visitors to carry their pollen from one plant to another.
The Role of Animal Pollinators
About 90% of flowering plants enlist the help of animals to transfer pollen from anthers to stigmas. This process, known as zoophily, involves attracting, rewarding, and sometimes controlling animal visitors. Flowers use a range of characteristics, including color, shape, scent, and taste, to attract specific pollinators. For example, bird-pollinated flowers like pōhutukawa have bright red colors and produce nectar, while bee-pollinated flowers often have ultraviolet patterns and scents. Human senses are similar to those of other animals, which is why we often find the same characteristics attractive.
Personal Experience with Flowers
As a botanist, the author has always been fascinated by flowers and their biology. From a young age, they were drawn to the beauty and complexity of flowers, and later had the opportunity to work with leading flower biologists in New Zealand. In retirement, the author has applied stereo pair photography to capture the intricate shapes and functions of flowers, resulting in the publication of the book "He Puāwai: A Natural History of New Zealand Flowers." This book features stunning images of New Zealand’s native flowers, including pōhutukawa, mānuka, and ngutukākā.
New Zealand’s Christmas Tree: Pōhutukawa
Pōhutukawa trees are iconic in New Zealand, with their bright red flowers blooming in early December. These flowers reflect strongly in the red and ultraviolet wavelengths, but absorb most of the blue and green wavelengths, making them characteristic of bird-pollinated flowers. Pōhutukawa flowers are also visited and pollinated by native short-tailed bats, known as pekapeka. The tree’s natural range is in the north of the North Island, but it has spread to other areas, including Wellington city, and has even become naturalized in Australia, South Africa, and California.
Native Mistletoe
Mistletoes are parasitic plants that have long been associated with magic and cultural significance. They have green leaves, indicating that they are not completely parasitic, and some species have spectacular flowers that attract birds as pollinators. Korukoru, or scarlet mistletoe, has bright red flowers that appear in midsummer and are pollinated by birds like tūī and korimako. However, many native mistletoes are endangered due to the threat of possums and the loss of their pollinators.
Almost Lost in the Wild: Ngutukākā
Ngutukākā, or kākābeak, is a rare and threatened plant in the wild, despite being a popular garden plant. There are two species of ngutukākā, with the second species, C. maximus, found in a few populations in the east of the North Island. The flowers, which bloom from late winter to early spring, are among the largest native flowers in New Zealand and are adapted for pollination by nectar-feeding birds. The closed-access flowers require both knowledge and physical strength from their pollinators, making them rare in the New Zealand flora.
Conclusion and Conservation
New Zealand’s native flowers are unique and fascinating, with many species found nowhere else in the world. However, they face numerous threats, including myrtle rust, possums, and the loss of pollinators. It is essential that we take responsibility for protecting and preserving these species, not only for their beauty and cultural significance but also for the important role they play in maintaining ecosystem balance and biodiversity. By learning more about the biology and ecology of these flowers, we can work towards ensuring their survival and continued thrival in the wild.
