Fuchsia excorticata, commonly known as tree fuchsia, New Zealand fuchsia and by its Māori name kōtukutuku, is a New Zealand native tree belonging to the family Onagraceae. It is commonly found throughout New Zealand and as far south as the Auckland Islands. It grows from sea level up to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft), particularly alongside creeks and rivers. It is easily recognised in its native environment by the characteristic appearance of its bark, which peels spontaneously, hanging in red papery strips to show a pale bark underneath. Its scientific name, excorticata, reflects this distinctive property.
Fuchsia excorticata is the largest member of the genus Fuchsia, growing to a height of 15 m (50 ft). It is unusual among New Zealand trees in being deciduous in the southern parts of its range. The introduction of the common brushtail possum to New Zealand precipitated a serious decline in this species, particularly where large concentrations of the possum are present. F. excorticata appears to be one of the possum's preferred food sources, and they will browse individual trees to the point of defoliation after which the trees will die. The small dark purple berry is sweet and juicy. It was favoured by Māori who, unusually, gave the fruit its own name of kōnini or māti; it was also eaten by European settlers in jams and puddings.
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Fuchsiaexcorticata, commonly known as tree fuchsia, New Zealand fuchsia and by its Māori name kōtukutuku, is a New Zealand native tree belonging to the...
years ago. Most fuchsias are shrubs from 0.2 to 4 m (8 in to 13 ft 1 in) tall, but one New Zealand species, the kōtukutuku (F. excorticata), is unusual in...
Fuchsia procumbens is a prostrate shrub that is endemic to coastal areas of the North Island of New Zealand. Common names include creeping fuchsia, climbing...
communicative mechanism for the bird to visit. An example is the tree fuchsia (Fuchsiaexcorticata), which are green when needing to be pollinated and turn red...
flowers age. These flowers are very similar to those of Fuchsiaexcorticata, also called tree fuchsia, in a smaller version. Hermaphroditic flowers are the...
feed on herbaceous plants including Fuchsiaexcorticata, Coprosma species, and introduced species such as garden fuchsia as well as crops such as apple trees...
Larvae have been reared from dead wood of Pittosporum tenuifolium and Fuchsiaexcorticata and dead standing wood of a Coprosma species (probably Coprosma grandifolia)...
of Coriaria arborea. One specimen was reared from a larva in dead Fuchsiaexcorticata. Further rearing records are from dead wood of Alnus rubra, Quercus...
Whanganui. Hudson reared the moths from dead branches of kōtukutuku (Fuchsiaexcorticata) collected in Karori, Wellington. He noted the larvae "feed during...
(Melicytus ramiflorus), broadleaf (Griselinia littoralis) tree fuchsia (Fuchsiaexcorticata) and beech (Fuscospora solandri). The research by Townsend in...
common plants and trees include Totara, Rimu, Kanuka, and Manuka. Fuchsiaexcorticata can be found in the forest; often rare as it is often eaten by possums...
(Pseudowintera colorata), wineberry (Aristotelia serrata), tree fuchsia (Fuchsiaexcorticata) and Coprosma rotundifolia. Tree ferns are abundant, mostly the...
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