What’s flowering now? New Zealand mistletoe

Mistletoes grow in many countries around the world but New Zealand is home to eight unique species. Three are called the beech mistletoes because they primarily grow on southern beech trees. They have large, showy red or yellow flowers that are pollinated by native birds. Two
closely related species, the green mistletoes, have small (2–5 millimetres) greenish-yellow flowers that are pollinated by insects. The remaining three species are called dwarf mistletoes because of their very small size.

Peraxilla tetrapetala, red mistletoe, taken by Sally Tripp at Wilderness Lodge, Cora Lynn Station, near Arthur’s Pass. The owners Dr Gerry McSweeney and Anne Saunders are committed to caring for nature. They successfully combine farming, tourism and conservation, so this species receive intensive pest control to protect it from possums and mustelids.