An international pact: ngutukākā / kakabeak coming home

How is the story of these bright flowers forever entwined with that of a garden in London, UK? The ngutukākā or kakabeak is an endangered NZ native shrub pushed to the brink of extinction. Now, thanks to community efforts, a light is being shone on this endangered taonga plant to restore it to the glory it once had.

A vibrant bloom of Aotearoa, a botanist collecting seeds from afar, a struggle for survival, a letter to Kew Gardens and a heroic community who have fought to save a precious taonga.

Settle in, it’s story time.

A tale of ngutukākā (kakabeak)

In 1769, Captain Cook's ship, Endeavour, landed in Anaura Bay. At this time, ngutukākā thrived along the North Island’s east coast and were prized by local hapū. Dazzled by their beautiful blooms, the crew of the Endeavour collected ngutukākā seedlings to take back to England. Sadly, over the next 200 years, on the East Cape, ngutukākā suffered greatly with European settlement. At the hands of invasive grazers, they were pushed to the brink of extinction.

In 2012, Biodiversity Ranger Graeme Atkins, leading a project to save the ngutukākā, contacted Kew Garden in England where the original ngutukākā seeds had been taken and grown. This connection resulted in the descendants of the original seed pods being brought back to Aotearoa, changing the fate of the precious ngutukākā.

An endangered taonga species fighting back

Now, thanks to the perseverance and passion, innovation and expertise of the local community and the Tairawhiti Ngutukākā Trust, ngutukākā is shining brightly once more - a taonga species here in Aotearoa. Though, the fight is not over. They are still at risk of extinction in the wild, with less than 100 plants secure from grazers on rocky cliffs.

With your support, Trees That Count is honoured to enable the planting of ngutukākā at marae, kura, and roadsides all along the east coast, with the vision to create a ‘crimson highway’. It's the continuation of a community journey to see this beautiful and highly endangered plant flourish once more.

More than just trees in the ground

These are the stories that your donations impact. Planting native trees is more than just trees in the ground, it’s the preservation of history, the enrichment of culture and the protection of our environment for future generations to admire and enjoy.

Interested in seeing this taonga species in full bloom? Check out the Ngutukākā Festival in September!

This story and associated photographs were originally published by Trees that Count.