Clianthus puniceus Kaka King

The Clianthus puniceus 'Kaka King' owes its name to its large red flowers, which resemble the beak of the kākā, a New Zealand parrot. This tender bush with great ornamental value is grown in the ground in milder areas and in a pot everywhere else and is a beautiful terrace or balcony plant, to be stored away in winter. Its long trailing stems bear clusters of pendulous flowers in spring, with large petals of a stunning coral red colour, giving it a highly exotic appearance. Its finely cut foliage with silky undersides reminds us of its relation to wisterias or peas. To successfully grow it, give it sun and protection in winter, a preferably limestone, fertile, well-drained but moist soil in summer.

Clianthus puniceus (synonym Donia punicea) belongs to the recent family Fabaceae, or Legumes. As such, this shrub is capable of producing the necessary nitrogen for its growth at the root level, which gives it excellent adaptation to poor soils. It is native to the North Island of New Zealand, where it is commonly called 'Kakabeak'. Its natural environment consists of cliffs where it anchors its roots, as well as the banks of rivers and forest edges or clearings where it appreciates rocky soils. This magnificent plant, although quite commonly cultivated, is endangered in its native region. Hardy to about -6.5°C in well-drained and sheltered locations, this Clianthus can tolerate a wide range of soils, including alkaline soils, as long as they remain sufficiently moist in summer.

The 'Kaka King' cultivar was selected for the beautiful bright red colour of its flowers. It is a climbing or trailing shrub with long, very flexible stems that can reach 4 m (13 ft 1 in), which is best trained. Otherwise, it will form a tall and wide bushy mass of over 2 metres (6 feet 7 inches). Its growth is rather fast. The leaves remain in winter in mild climates or in cold greenhouses. 15 cm (5.9 in) long, they are composed of numerous small regular leaflets, pale green to grey-green, with silky undersides. Flowering usually occurs from March to May, but sometimes until September depending on the climate. These are clusters of large flowers appearing in the axils of the leaves, 10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in) long, hanging from peduncles. These flowers have two petals in the shape of sickles, the 'lobster claws', 5 to 7 cm (2 to 2.8 in) long. The flowers give way to green pods that open to reveal large black seeds when ripe.

Clianthus puniceus Kaka King will express all its uniqueness as a standalone bush, integrated into an exotic setting in a mild climate garden. Its low hardiness allows outdoor cultivation in zone 9, in a sheltered location. Gardeners in cooler climates should grow it in a large pot to be stored away in winter in a cool and bright location, as it dislikes overly heated and dry atmospheres. A potted or container plant always tolerates water shortage much less than its counterpart growing in the ground, so watering should be consistent throughout the growing season but reduced in winter. It could be paired, for example, with a Boronia heterophylla that enjoys the same conditions or with a Jacaranda mimosifolia, with spring and autumn flowering.