Things like the tree lucerne is good because it's fast growing. Gets you something in place quickly, and you can use it as shelter for your more permanent slower growing trees. Once the lucerne starts to die back the other trees will be starting to look attractive.
dibble35,
Sep 21, 6:40am
funnily enough theres a native tree called pigeonwood - my boss who has run a native tree nursery for 15 years and always been a outdoors type of guy reckons he has never seen a wood pigeon in one!
nzjay,
Sep 21, 10:40am
A Puriri, if you have room, is an important contributor of food as it has flowers and berries most of the year. I don't think anyone has mentioned Karaka, a little messy, but also important to Keruru.
nzjay,
Sep 21, 10:46am
Non-natives could be a fruiting cherry and a plum.
summersunnz,
Sep 21, 11:08am
Our neighbours have several karaka - they sure do love them.
rainrain1,
Sep 22, 8:35pm
They love broom
waikeewonder,
Sep 22, 9:08pm
We live in East Otago and yellow chain tree - which has flowers similar to wisteria, are highly attractive too these gorgeous birds. They eat both the flower and will strip the leaves as well. Last year we had 8 gorging themselves at the same time. What I do to save the seeds which look like pea pods, is I cover one of the flowers (whilst still attached to the tree) with a paper bag. When the seed pod is dried (takes about 6 weeks), I scatter through the garden and they germinate so we will always have these trees in our garden. We also have heaps of cabbage trees and flax - they feed on the flower heads.
I endorse Broom but its such a flimsy tree that the weight of the Keruru causes the branches to bend dramatically. Though I have never seen one actually fall off
thisles5,
Sep 22, 11:47pm
manuka is good if you like them smoked.
rich1969,
Sep 23, 2:08am
How did you cook it?
rainrain1,
Sep 23, 2:48am
I once saw a flock of at least 100 , they flew into a macrocarpa tree, sadly the tree has been felled now, it was probably a favourite high resting place, where they sus out what's on the broom bushes. I go up and watch them feed in the Summer, the antics of them as they fly backwards and forwards across the road is a sight to see.
mx38,
Sep 23, 3:53am
Interesting to see your pics of them stripping your kowhai rainrain1 . I have a young kowhai I'm trying to grow as a feature tree by the deck . they have stripped every leaf and flower bud this winter and I'm worried that if they keep doing it the tree will die?
rainrain1,
Sep 23, 4:25am
It could well do, mine is an older tree that didn't grow well in that spot, but seems to leaf up and flower every year. I don't know how you can protect the young tree
skyedog,
Sep 23, 5:21am
They love Virgilia Capensis here and it is very fast growing.
juliewn,
Sep 23, 2:46pm
Wow. very cool. I hope all the trees in my garden will bring more than a couple of Kereru in times to come as the tree's grow.
woody89,
Sep 23, 5:00pm
We have a smallish Kowhai, it is near the house & I've never particularly liked it. It seemed to struggle, I thought it had borer & was always straggly looking & only flowered half heartedly. The last 2-3 winters we've had wood pigeons visiting it & stripping the leaves. We figured well, they must need the food, they can have it. The plan was to take it out in the summer. Well spring came last year & the tree flowered well & leafed up nicely so we left it. Once again this winter the pigeons have been back & the tree has never looked so good. I think their 'pruning' has saved it lol.
mx38,
Sep 23, 8:26pm
Ok that's good to know - I'm hoping they don't attack it again when the new spring growth comes. We live surrounded by native bush so they should have plenty of food.
rainrain1,
Sep 23, 9:00pm
They still remember where the kowhai are. I had one that would come every year to a Kowhai out my window, growing in a bit of natural bush, it would come too early, but appear to sit and wait for 1/2 hour or so, then fly off, then back every day to check it out. The top broke off the tree, I'm wondering if the pigeon was the cause of that in the end. It still comes back to the remains
waikeewonder,
Sep 25, 2:05am
put pigeon in pot with a brick, when brick is tender ready to eat lol
jenny791,
Sep 20, 4:54pm
They love the fresh shoots of weeping willows.
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