About Sophora molloyi Heenan & de Lange
Cook Strait kōwhai, scientifically Sophora molloyi Heenan & de Lange, grows as a small compact bush that can become quite wide, but only reaches roughly head height. It is an early-flowering species that typically blooms between April and October. Its flowers are yellow and measure around 3 cm long. Unlike other kōwhai, S. molloyi keeps its leaves year-round, and plants grown from seed do not go through a divaricating juvenile stage. In horticulture, two varieties of this species are sold: 'Dragons Gold' (also written as 'Dragon's Gold') and 'Early Gold', both of which are popular garden plants. The 'Dragons Gold' cultivar was selected by Terry Hatch of Joy Plants from material collected on Stephens Island in the 1950s. While the original source plant for this cultivar eventually grew to 6 metres tall, a height of 2 metres is more typical for the cultivar in its first 10 years of growth. It works very well for covering difficult banks and areas with poor soil, and produces clusters of bright yellow flowers. The cultivar's name commemorates Stephens Island's large tuatara population, which led the island to be likened to an 'isle of dragons'. The 'Early Gold' cultivar is an earlier selection developed by the late John Goldie, and it was also grown from seedlings sourced from Stephens Island. It is similar to 'Dragons Gold', but has paler, lemony yellow flowers. This cultivar was covered by Plant Variety Rights for a period, but those rights have now expired. Due to its small size, year-round leaf retention, and winter flowering season when few other plants bloom, Sophora molloyi is a good container plant.
