Is that tree a Miro or matai? These two native New Zealand trees are similar looking, but here are some tips to help you tell them apart. New Zealand is home to a diverse and varied ecosystem. There are beautiful beaches, volcanoes, lakes, and a…
Tag: trees
iNaturalist is a great, free tool to help you identify unknown plants or animals. This post explains what it is and how to use it. I love exploring New Zealand, especially visiting a new area I haven’t been to before and finding new species. The…
The New Zealand mountain cedar or pahautea is a stunning native tree. Here are 5 facts about this lovely, sometimes gnarled native tree. This tree is a type of cedar and can be recognised as such by looking at the ‘leaves’, which have that distinctive…
Here are 2 signs of a good summer to come – early blooming pohutukawas and heaps of heketara. Are these just myths or do they truly mean a fine summer is on the way? Every year around November I start to crave an end to…
Heketara is an endemic tree daisy in New Zealand. Here are 6 facts about this tree that has lovely clusters of white flowers in the spring. The native forests of New Zealand are lush, full of vegetation from the emergent Rata and Rimu trees to…
Lancewood is a unique native New Zealand tree that can be easily identified. Here are 7 facts about this common tree, including its two growth stages. I feel like I’ve been a bit remiss in not talking about Lancewood before. Lancewood is one of the…
The native pukatea tree can grow some humongous buttress roots. Read about why puakatea trees have these unique plank buttress roots here. New Zealand is full of unique trees that grow nowhere else in the world. Some, such as the Pohutukawa, produce beautiful red flowers,…
The native totara tree grows to a huge size and is common across New Zealand. Learn 6 facts about this tree, including why Maori revere it. As a pakeha and non-native to New Zealand it has taken me time to learn and appreciate many of…
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…
New Zealand’s native rata and pohutukawa trees can be found across the country. Here are 3 tips to help you tell apart these common trees. When I first moved to New Zealand 5 years ago I was overwhelmed with the sheer beauty of the country.…