The rewarewa is a beautiful native New Zealand tree. Here are 6 facts about this tree that produces beautiful red nectar filled flowers.
New Zealand has so many unique trees that stand out to me, such as the massive kauri, the majestic pohutukawas, and the bizarre lancewood. It’s hard to pick just one or two favourites because they are all special in their own ways. One tree that I’ve come to appreciate is the rewarewa. It is common to the North Island, but may not be so well known to those South Island inhabitants. This tree has truly odd looking red flowers and is actually the only species of its genus and one of two in the same family that can be found in New Zealand.
6 Rewarewa Facts
This is a common tree throughout the North Island and the very top of the South Island in the Marlborough Sounds. It grows in lowland forest up to about 850 meters in elevation.
It can be identified by its overall shape (straight, symmetrical, conical shape), its leaves (long, narrow, and toothed around the edges), and the unique red flowers. Rewarewa can grow up to about 30 meters tall
In the springtime, around Labor Day, this tree produces odd shaped red flowers that often cover the tree and then later can be found littering the forest floor. The red flowers are about 10 cm long with a compact centre covered by red shoots with yellow tips coming out of it. These flowers produce a sweet nectar that is enjoyed by native birds and insects. In the past, Maori also collected the nectar to eat.
Not only do native birds and insects like the nectar from these flowers, but so too do short tailed bats. Yep, one of the two native land mammals in New Zealand, the short-tailed bat, enjoys the nectar of the rewarewa flowers.
The seed pod is a unique curved shape. The seed pods mature on the tree in early winter, when the pods split open, dispersing the seeds that are inside. According to Maori tradition, the shape of the wakas (Maori canoes) was inspired by the shape of the seed pods of the rewarewa.
The wood of this tree is beautiful and was and still is used for ornamental work. The wood was also used by Maori to build palisade walls.