Plant Hawke's Bay founder Marie Taylor holding one of the surviving kākābeak plants after floodwaters destroyed much of the endangered collection. Photo / Paul Taylor
Plant Hawke's Bay founder Marie Taylor holding one of the surviving kākābeak plants after floodwaters destroyed much of the endangered collection. Photo / Paul Taylor
Before Cyclone Gabrielle hit, there were about 109 known kākābeak plants in the wild.
That number is now likely to have dropped further as the February cyclone resulted in landslips across Hawke’s Bay.
The kākābeak (or ngutukākā) plant - which features “stunning” red flowers - is native to the NorthIsland’s East Coast and work has been under way for years to save the plant from pests and increase its population.
Some nurseries such as Plant Hawke’s Bay in Waiohiki, near Hastings, have been growing special collections of kākābeak plants from seeds and cuttings sourced from the wild.
Unfortunately, the cyclone resulted in severe flooding at the Plant Hawke’s Bay site and at least half of its 75 kākābeak plants died, while more are struggling to survive.
Another small cluster of kākābeak planted at Hukarere Girls’ College in Eskdale was also destroyed in the cyclone.
A special appeal has now been put out to the public to help the kākābeak cause.
Plant Hawke's Bay founder Marie Taylor with a thriving kākābeak plant, prior to the cyclone hitting. Photo / Paul Taylor
Urban Kākābeak Project lead James Powrie said a number of organisations and trusts, including the Pan Pac Environmental Trust, had supported wild-sourced kākābeak plants to be grown in nurseries in recent years, then given them out to members of the public to care for them in their own gardens.
About 1500 wild-sourced kākābeak plants have been dispersed to members of the public as part of that project.
Powrie said they were encouraging anyone with a wild-sourced kākābeak plant (particularly those labelled Rachel, Bluff or Peat) to get in touch and supply the seeds from those plants so they can replenish stocks. The seeds can be picked in summer.
Simply message the Urban Kākābeak Project Facebook page to help.
Powrie said the loss of plants during the cyclone had been a “major setback” and help from the community would be appreciated.
He said pests were the biggest challenge with regard to increasing stocks of kākābeak in the wild, and it was now rare to see one of the “stunning” plants in the wild, compared to 150 years ago when places like Tūtira were surrounded by the red plants.
“In the wild, kākābeak is clinging to survival on very steep land, usually.
“It is not because it prefers that, it is because those are the safe spots from goats and deer [which like to eat the plants].
“Goats and deer are throughout Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast now.
