Forestry Insights

  Beech, Hard beech, Tawhairaunui

•     Generic name: nothofagus truncata
•     Height: 30 m
•     Trunk: bark thick, furrowed and grey.
•     Leaf: partly deciduous in late winter/early spring, leaves glossly, 25-35 
      mm, no hairs, oval, coarse serrations like holly.
•     Seed/flower: tiny red male bell-shaped flowers, lots. Clusters of 3 
      flowered female on stalks. Green brown tipped flowers between leaf
      and stem.
•     Appearance: red when cut, dries to light brown.
•     Properties: harder than other beeches.  Bark full of tannin, used for
      leather tanning.
•     Uses: past – bridges, posts, poles, railway sleepers.

Beech, Silver Beech, Tawhai

•     Generic name: nothofagus menziesii
•     Height: 30 m
•     Trunk: cherry-like bark on young trees, greyish and furrowed when
      old.
•     Leaf: 8-12 mm broad ovals, alternate leaves on hairy branches.
•     Seed/flower: produces flat or 3 angled nuts, 5-6 mm long. Male
      browny-yellow flowers on stalks on branches, 1-4 per stalk – single 
      flower on stalk. Female, tiny green flowers between leaves and 
      stems, 1-4 per branchlet.
•     Appearance: reddish, even, compact straight grain.
•     Properties: straight grained, durable, not resistant in water.
•     Uses: past – wharf and bridge building, railway sleepers. Present –
      furniture and decorative work.

White Pine, Kahikatea

•     Generic name: podocarpus (dacrycarpus) dacrydioides
•     Height: 60 m (tallest native tree).
•     Trunk: bark grey, hammer marked.
•     Leaf: juvenile – long, narrow, sickle-shaped. Adult – overlapping, 2 mm
      long, in rows along branch.
•     Seed/flower: male and female ovular on separate trees. Male trees
      have groups of long thin pollen bearing cones that are pale orange
      when mature. Female has red single receptacles with tiny dark purple   
      seeds on the ends. Both on tips of branches.
•     Appearance: straight-grained.
•     Properties: tough, easy to work, not durable in weather and prone to
      attack by wood-boring insects.
•     Uses: past –Maori waka (canoe), soot for tattooing pigment, toys, 
      packaging for butter, cheese, kitchenware. Present – when treated
      used for scaffold planks, weatherboards, fascia boards, mouldings,
      window sashes, feature panelling.

Kauri

•     Generic name: agathis australis (agathos = good)
•     Height: up to 50 m
•     Trunk: bluish/whitish green, hammer marked.
•     Leaf: young trees, 5-10 cm,  long thin leaves,browny green.  Mature
      trees, 2-4 cm.
•     Seed/flower: both sexes in separate flowers on same tree. Male
      cones long and thin, female spherical. Winged seed carried by wind.
•     Appearance: yellow-brown colour.
•     Properties: light, durable, straight-grained. Free from knots and
      defects, easily worked.
•     Uses: past – shipmasts, spars, building, railway carriages, road
      paving, furniture, decoration, boat building. Gum for paint and
      varnishes. Maori value: canoes from single logs. Heating and lighting
      from burning gum.

Black Pine, Matai

•     Generic name: podocarpus spicatus
•     Height: 40 m
•     Trunk: bark bluish/black, hammer marked.
•     Leaf: young spiky or slightly sickle-shaped. Yellowish/brownish green
      leaves.
•     Seed/flower: male cones on spikes from leaves.  Female tiny and
      grouped on another spike up to 40 mm long. Ripe seed up to 6 mm,
      blue/black
•     Appearance: Brown, close, handsome grain.
•     Properties: heavy, hard, brittle, strong, durable.
•     Uses: flooring, weatherboards, some furniture.

Red Pine, Rimu

•     Generic name: podocarpus spicatus
•     Height: 40 m
•     Trunk: bark bluish/black, hammer marked.
•     Leaf: young spiky or slightly sickle-shaped. Yellowish/brownish green
      leaves.
•     Seed/flower: male cones on spikes from leaves. Female tiny and
      grouped on another spike up to 40 mm long. Ripe seed up to    
      6mm, blue/black.
•     Appearance: Brown, close, handsome grain.
•     Properties: heavy, hard, brittle, strong, durable
•     Uses: flooring, weatherboards, some furniture.

New Zealand Honeysuckle, Rewarewa

•     Generic name: knightia excelsa
•     Height: 30 m
•     Trunk: finely textured bark
•     Leaf: 10-20 cm long, 2.5-4cm wide. Thick and leathery.
•     Seed/flower: flowers are spirally coiled. Brown fruits up to 4 cm long
      take a year to open. Seeds winged.
•     Appearance: pale, reddish, grained and figured.
•     Properties: not durable for outside use.
•     Uses: furnishings and inlay work.