It is NZ’s tallest tree and lives for over 600 yrs
Found throughout NZ below 600m, enjoying moist and even swamp fertile river flats
Can grow to 60m with trunk diameter around 2m
The bark is metallic grey and as the tree gets older, thick oval flakes drop leaving hammer-like marks on the surface
The leaves are greyish green narrowly pointed with prickly tips
The seedlings appear fernlike with small leaves
Male trees form pollen cones up to 1cm in length at the tips of the twigs in the crown
The female trees produce seed cones also producing shiny black seeds on top of fleshy fruit, which change from green to yellow to orange and finally red
Pollen is released in spring and the seeds mature the following autumn
The seed is dispersed by birds in their droppings
Interesting Facts
Common name is White Pine but is not of the pine family
The timber was not regarded as useful by the settlers as rimu and kauri
The wood is clean and light weight and useful for making boxes and in boat building
The Maori used the fleshy fruit as a food source and the wood for spears and knives
