Native Trees of New Zealand

Matagouri is a hardy and spiny plant that typically grows in dry, rocky, and exposed habitats. Matagouri has a distinctive appearance with tangled, wiry branches covered in small, sharp thorns.

Raupō is a native wetland plant and is a tall and robust perennial herb that grows in dense clusters along the edges of lakes, ponds, swamps, and other freshwater habitats. Raupō has long, strap-like leaves that can reach heights of up to three meters.

Toetoe has long, slender leaves that form large tufts or clumps. The leaves are green in colour and have a distinctive arching shape. Toetoe plants can reach impressive heights, with some species growing up to three meters tall.

The Silver Beech is a tall tree that can reach heights of up to 30 meters. It has smooth, silver-grey bark that gives it its distinctive name. Its leaves are small, oval-shaped, and have a vibrant green colour, which creates a lush canopy when the tree is in full foliage.

Flax is a versatile and distinctive plant with long, sword-like leaves that can reach up to 3 meters in length. The leaves are typically green but can vary in colour, ranging from dark green to bronze or red. Flax produces tall flowering spikes with clusters of small flowers.

Tītoki is a small to medium-sized tree that grows up to 15-20 meters tall. It has a dense, spreading canopy and a straight trunk. The leaves are dark green and glossy, and the tree produces clusters of small, creamy-white flowers in summer, followed by bright red fruit in autumn.

Matai is a large evergreen coniferous tree that can grow up to 30 meters tall. It has a straight trunk with a dense crown of dark green, needle-like leaves. The bark is thick and rough, with deep grooves and ridges.

Tarata is a smaller-sized native tree that grows up to 10 metres tall. The trunk is narrow and has a dense bracket crown. The leaves are glossy, dark and leathery with a light green midrib. The tree produces small, white flowers in spring, followed by small red berries that attract various birds in summer. 

Puka is a smaller-sized native evergreen tree that grows up to 10-12 metres tall. The tree has a slender and straight trunk with a dense crown. The leaves are glossy and dark and have a unique yellow-green midrib.

Miro trees are evergreen coniferous species that can grow between 20-35 metres. Their trunk diameter is around 1-2 metres. The tree has a narrow, conical shape with smooth reddish-brown bark. Micro leaves are small and narrow with pointed ends arranged spirally around the tree branches. The female trees grow small red berries. 

Tawa trees can grow up to 35 metres tall. The tree species have grey, smooth bark and a straight trunk. The leaves are glossy and broad with a unique yellow-green colour. 

Mountain Beech is a medium-sized tree that can grow up to 25 metres in height, with a trunk diameter of up to 1 metre. It has a dense canopy and dark green leaves that turn golden-yellow in autumn before they fall. The bark is dark brown and rough, with deep fissures.

Karamu is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand. It can grow up to 8 meters in height with a spread of 2-3 meters. The leaves are dark green and glossy, and the plant produces small, round berries that turn from green to red when ripe.

Mahoe is a smaller-sized true that can grow up to 10-15 meters tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 60 cm. The tree has a slender and upright posture, with a smooth grey bark that can become flaky with age. The leaves are glossy, dark green, and ovate, with finely serrated margins.

Kanuka is a medium-sized native tree that can grow up to 25 metres tall. It has a slender trunk with rough and flakey bark that can peel off in papery strips. Kanuka leaves are narrow, pointed and prickly, with a unique and distinctive aroma when crushed. Kanuka produces small clusters of small white and pink flowers in summer. 

Tōtara trees can grow up to 25-30 metres in height and have a straight trunk with evergreen foliage. It has needle-like leaves that spiral along the branches. Tōtara produces small flowers with fruit.

Ti Kouka, also known as Cordyline australis or the cabbage tree, is a distinctive tree-like plant native to New Zealand. It can reach a height of 10-20 meters and has a slender trunk topped by a dense cluster of long, sword-shaped leaves.

The red or southern beech is a large evergreen tree that can reach heights of 25-35 meters. The bark is smooth and greyish-brown, while the leaves are glossy and dark green, with a slightly serrated margin.

Rewarewa is a large tree species that can grow up to 30 meters tall. It has distinctive, oblong leaves that are up to 20 cm long. The tree produces clusters of red flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer.‍

Rangiora is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand. It can grow up to 3-4 meters in height. The leaves are large, broad, and deeply lobed, with a velvety texture and a greyish-green colour.

Putaputawētā, also known as the marbleleaf, is a small tree or shrub native to New Zealand. It typically grows up to 4-6 meters in height. The leaves are broad and oval-shaped, with a distinctive glossy, dark green upper surface and a pale undersurface.

Pūriri is a large evergreen tree that can grow up to 20 metres tall. It has a broad, spreading crown with glossy, dark green leaves that are leathery and thick. The bark is thick and corky, with deep ridges and furrows. The tree produces clusters of small, white or cream-coloured flowers that attract birds and insects, followed by red, purple, or black fruit.

Pohutukawa is an iconic native tree known for its beautiful bright red flowers that bloom over summer. The trees grow to around 10-20 metres in height. The trunk is usually gnarled and knobby with dense foliage. The iconic flowers are tubular and are favoured among bees and birds.

Rātā and associated species can grow up to 20-25 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 2 metres. Rātā bark is rough and dark and has dark, glossy leaves. During the summer, the tree grows large clusters of red flowers, attracting influxes of native birds. 

Nīkau Palm is a palm tree species native to New Zealand. It is the only palm species naturally occurring in the country. Nīkau palms can reach heights of 10-15 meters, with a slender trunk covered in fibrous, persistent leaf bases. The leaves are large, pinnate, and have a glossy, dark green colour.

Ngaio is a smaller native evergreen tree that can grow up to 15 meters tall with a trunk diameter of up to 50 cm. Its bark is a light grey, and its leaves are glossy green, oval-shaped, and can grow up to 10 cm long. The tree produces small white flowers and small, fleshy, purple-black fruit.

Mānuka is a shrub or small tree species that can grow up to 4-5 meters tall. It has small, narrow leaves prickly to the touch and flowers, usually white or pink.

Kowhai is a smaller-sized native tree that grows up to 10 metres tall. It has smooth bark with green, angled twigs. The leaves are bright green and fern-like, with several leaflets attached to the central stem. The Kowhai is renowned for its stunning colourful yellow flowers blooming in late winter and early spring. 

Kōtukutuku can grow up to 12 meters in height and has a distinctive flaky bark. The leaves are oval-shaped, with serrated edges, and have a dark green colour.

Kawakawa typically grows up to 5-10 meters in height. The leaves are heart-shaped, glossy, and have distinct holes or perforations caused by insect feeding.

Kauri is coniferous that can grow to around 50-60 metres in height with a trunk diameter of 4-5 metres. The tree has a straight trunk and smooth bark with a distinctive branching pattern. It is an evergreen tree with glossy needle-like leaves arranged spirally on the branch.

Karo is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree or shrub native to New Zealand. It can grow up to 10-15 meters in height. The leaves are thick, glossy, and have wavy margins.

Karaka is a medium-sized species that can grow up to 20 metres tall. The tree has large, dark, glossy leaves growing up to 25cm long. The tree produces orange-yellow fruit that contains a single seed.

Kāpuka is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree or shrub native to New Zealand. It can grow up to 10-15 meters in height. The leaves are leathery, oval-shaped, and have a glossy, dark green colour.

Kaponga typically grows up to 4-8 meters in height, with a distinctive trunk covered in rough, fibrous scales. The fronds are large, feathery, and arching.

Kahikatea is a coniferous tree that can grow up to 60 metres tall. It has a slender trunk and branches, and its bark is smooth and greyish-white. Kahikatea has needle-like leaves that are flattened and arranged in a spiral pattern on the branch.

Houhere, also known as the Lacebark tree, is a smaller-sized native tree that can grow up to 10-12 meters in height. It has a slender trunk and a dense, round crown with many thin branches. The tree bark is smooth and grey-brown, and the leaves are thin, green, and slightly serrated.

Horoeka can grow up to 10 meters tall, but it is usually much smaller. The tree has a slender trunk that is green and smooth when young, but becomes woody and barky with age. The leaves are dark green and glossy, and often have five fingers.

Rimu grows up to 50 metres and has a straight trunk with a dense conical crown shape. It is an evergreen with needle-like leaves that produce small flowers and fruit.