Pōhuehue (climbing muehlenbeckia)
A wiry, twining native climber/groundcover that scrambles over fences, banks and rocks, tolerating wind, salt spray and dry conditions once established. Its dense tangle of stems is valuable shelter for native geckos and is the host plant for the native copper butterfly caterpillar. Semi-deciduous in colder areas. Flowers are tiny and inconspicuous.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- low
- Spacing
- 100cm
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Mature height
- 2m
- Attracts wildlife
- Native geckos, Copper butterfly
- Evergreen
- No, deciduous
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: March-April and September-November. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: September-November.
Growing stages
Planting & establishmentFirst few months
- Water while establishing; drought tolerance only develops once the plant is settled in
- Give it something to scramble over, such as a fence, bank or rocks, as it's a climber/groundcover by nature
Early growthFirst 1-2 years
- Semi-deciduous in colder areas, so some leaf drop over winter is normal, not a problem
- Growth is wiry and twining rather than upright, so guide young stems onto their support
Maturity
- Dense tangle of stems provides valuable shelter for native geckos
- Copper butterfly caterpillars feed on the foliage - chewed leaves are a sign of this native host relationship, not a pest issue
- Copes well with wind, salt spray and dry conditions once established