Tree fuchsia is one of the few deciduous native New Zealand trees. This easily recognised tree is found across the country.
When I first moved to New Zealand I was overcome with trying to learn and recognise all of the new trees. Some of the first ones I became familiar with were rimu, rata, and pohutukawa. Over time as I went on more walks I kept seeing a tree with an orangish, peeling bark (such as on the Milford Track, Routeburn Track, or the Translator Track). That is the tree fuchsia, which can be found across the country. Now, just like seeing an old friend, I feel happy when I go for a walk and see that peeling bark.
7 Tree Fuchsia Facts
Tree fuchsia is one of the few native trees that is sometimes deciduous. Those trees growing in colder, higher elevations may completely lose their leaves during winter.
The bark of this tree is one of the most distinctive signs of it and will help you recognise it. The bark is a reddish/orangish color and peels off in strips from the trunk. The bark is often described as papery.
This is the largest fuchsia in the world!
The flowers of this tree, which grow in the spring, are generally a dark purple in colour. They grow 2 – 3 cm long and point downwards. Not long after flowering, black berries will grow. These medium sized berries (1.5 cm) are full of seeds. The berries are eaten by native birds (such as tui) and insects (such as weta) which help to disperse the seeds. This dispersal of the seeds in the animals scat helps the seeds germinate and grow into new trees away from the parent tree.
The Maori (te reo) name for this tree is kotukutuku. There is a saying referencing kotuktuku about a person who wants to eat food. Where were you when the leaves of the kotuktuku were falling?’ In other words, the person was not around to help harvest the food in the autumn, so they don’t get to eat the food during winter.
Tree fuchsia grows throughout the country. It can be found from sea level up to 1,000 meters and is common in lowland and lower montane forests.
This is not a huge tree, like the towering rimu and kahikatea, but is shorter in stature. It grows to about 12 metres high and has a spreading canopy.