{"slug":"sophora-microphylla","scientific_name":"Sophora microphylla","common_names":["Kōwhai","Kowhai","Weeping kōwhai","Small-leaved kōwhai"],"family":"Fabaceae","type":"broadleaf_deciduous","mature_height_m":15,"mature_spread_m":8,"growth_rate":"medium","lifespan_years":null,"hardiness_zones":null,"sun":"full","water":"medium","soil":"Well-drained soils of most types; riparian and coastal sites in the wild","native_range":"Endemic to New Zealand, on both main islands (scarce in parts of Northland); WCVP also records it on the Chatham Islands and in central and southern Chile.","description":"New Zealand's best-loved flowering tree, a small tree to 25 m (usually much less) with tiny leaflets and hanging golden flowers in late winter and spring that tūī and bellbirds flock to. Young plants pass through a tangled divaricating stage. It is semi-deciduous, dropping leaves at flowering. All parts, especially the yellow seeds, are poisonous. Sophora tetraptera, the large-leaved kōwhai, is the other common planted species and nursery plants are often hybrids.","care":"Plant in sun on drained soil; it can be planted on open sites without nurse cover. Water the first summer; stake in windy places. Prune lightly after flowering if needed. Kōwhai moth caterpillars defoliate trees in summer but they recover. Seed germinates easily if the hard coat is nicked. Keep seeds away from children.","benefits":["flowers","birds","pollinators","nitrogen_fixing","small_space","wildlife"],"uses":["small_yard","street_tree","parks","riparian","reforestation"],"cautions":["toxic_parts"],"image_url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Sophora_microphylla_-_John_Barkla_-_93710499.jpeg","image_credit":"Wikimedia Commons, file Sophora_microphylla_-_John_Barkla_-_93710499.jpeg (see file page for author and licence)","sources":["https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/sophora-microphylla/","https://toolkit.tanestrees.org.nz/growth-yield-calculator/species-information/","https://www.gbif.org/species/2959082"],"data_note":null,"updated_at":"2026-11-08T01:00:46.205Z","page_url":"https://treerm.org/trees/sophora-microphylla","markdown_url":"https://treerm.org/trees/sophora-microphylla.md","regions":[{"country":"CL","region":null,"locality":null,"status":"native","note":"Recorded native in central and southern Chile by WCVP","source_url":"https://www.gbif.org/species/2959082"},{"country":"NZ","region":null,"locality":null,"status":"native","note":"Endemic; Not Threatened nationally (2023) but Regionally Vulnerable in Auckland and Declining in Northland","source_url":"https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/sophora-microphylla/"},{"country":"GB","region":null,"locality":null,"status":"adapted","note":"Garden tree in mild areas; introduced per WCVP","source_url":"https://www.gbif.org/species/2959082"}],"license":"CC-BY-4.0"}