Clianthus puniceus White Heron

The Clianthus puniceus 'White Heron' is an amazing New Zealand bush whose large curved flowers resemble parrot beaks or lobster claws. It is easily grown in the ground in mild areas and elsewhere it makes a beautiful terrace or balcony plant, to be stored away in winter. Its long climbing stems bear pendant clusters of flowers from spring to summer, displaying large petals of pure white with a highly exotic appearance. Its finely cut leaflets with silky undersides are reminiscent of wisteria or peas. To succeed in its cultivation, provide it with sun and mildness in winter, a rather chalky, fertile, well-drained soil, but keep it moist in summer.

Clianthus puniceus (synonym Donia punicea) belongs to the recent Fabaceae family, or legumes. As such, this bush is capable of producing the essential nitrogen for its growth at its roots, which gives it excellent adaptation to poor soils. It is native to the North Island of New Zealand, where it is commonly known as 'Kakabeak'. Its natural habitat consists of cliffs where it anchors its roots, as well as riverbanks and forest edges with stony soils. This magnificent plant, although quite commonly cultivated, is endangered in its native land. Hardy down to about -5°C in well-drained and sheltered conditions, this Clianthus tolerates a wide range of soils, including alkaline ones, as long as they remain sufficiently moist in summer. This plant has been awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society.

The 'White Heron' cultivar is a very beautiful white-flowered form of this species. It is a climbing or creeping bush composed of long very flexible stems that can reach 4 m, which is best trained. Otherwise, it will form a bushy mass of over 2 metres (6 feet 7 inches) high and wide. 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 gray-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 on peduncles. These flowers have two keels or 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 when ripe to reveal large black seeds. 

Clianthus puniceus White Heron looks striking as a standalone bush, integrating into an exotic setting in a mild climate garden. Its low hardiness allows planting in the ground in zone 9, in a sheltered location. Gardeners in cooler climates can grow it in a large pot, to be stored away in winter in a cool and bright space, as it dislikes overly heated and dry atmospheres. Plants grown in pots or containers are less tolerant to water shortages than those grown in the ground. Therefore, it's essential to maintain regular watering throughout the growing season and reduce it during winter. Some varieties that require consistent watering include 'Kaka King' and 'Flamingo', as well as Boronia heterophylla, which thrive in similar conditions. Other examples include Brugmansia and Jacaranda mimosifolia, both of which produce flowers during spring and autumn.