Rewarewa

Value to bees

Nectar

Very high

Pollen

Moderate

As a honey crop

Major honey crop — yields a surplus in good years

Which bees, and why

Honey bees work it heavily, and it is worth being clear that they are latecomers to a system built around birds. Tui and bellbirds are the plant's evolved pollinators, and honey bee competition for nectar is one strand of the argument about hive densities in New Zealand conservation land.

Worth knowing

A heavy nectar source in native forest, and an important one for the New Zealand forest bird community as well as for bees.

Flowering

In flower

October to December (southern hemisphere)

When nectar flows

Copious. The flowers hold substantial quantities of nectar, which is what makes them worth a bird's attention.

Year-to-year variation

Dependent on the extent of surrounding native forest, which limits the crop to regions where that forest survives. Rewarewa honey is scarce for habitat reasons rather than botanical ones.

What it does to the honey

Dark reddish-amber, malty and rich with a distinct burnt-caramel character and a long finish. It is one of the most characterful honeys New Zealand produces and one of the least exported.

Growing it

Conditions

Frost-free to lightly frosted, sheltered, on free-draining soil. It is slow to establish and dislikes exposure.

Size

20-30 m tall and unusually narrow in crown for its height.

Native range

New Zealand's North Island and the north of the South Island, in lowland and lower montane forest.

Suits

Large gardens

• Slow-growing and worth planting for the flowers rather than for quick cover.
• Shelter it while young; it is wind-sensitive when small.
• Not hardy in most of the northern temperate world.

What it looks like

A strikingly narrow, upright tree with stiff serrated leaves, carrying dense curved brushes of deep red flowers along the branches. The flowers curl back dramatically as they open.