kareao

Ripogonum scandens | kareao, supplejack, pirita

Supplejack is a vigorous, woody vine found throughout Aotearoa’s lowland to montane forests, where it clambers through the canopy or forms dense tangles on the forest floor. From stubby underground rhizomes, its dark stems can grow up to 5 cm a day in summer, twisting anticlockwise around any available support as they climb toward the light. In summer it produces clusters of small greenish-yellow flowers, followed by bright red berries that birds eagerly feed on.

In the garden, Supplejack is rarely used ornamentally, but with imagination it can become a striking sculptural centrepiece, its bare black stems twisting and knotting into dramatic forms. It prefers moist, shaded sites and plenty of space to sprawl or climb.