New Zealand walking near water, swamps and in forest margins leads often past the widely spread Cabbage tree. Their total hight becomes 10 to 15 metres. White fragrant flowers are seen in spring to summer.

Captain Cook and his crew named this tree after the taste of its shoots. Their high carbohydrate made it part of Maori and early settler’s diet.

Maoris used these hard wearing leaves for weaving clothes, shoes and fishing utensils.

The native Kauri trees grow in New Zealand’s Northland up to Coromandel. A forest is called Kauri forest even though they don’t exceed on numbers.

They belong to the most ancient trees in the world. With a lifetime of more than 2000 years and a hight up to 50 metres they tower above the forests’ main canopy. You will find the oldest standing tree in West Auckland in the Cascade Kauri.

The mighty trees were milled for their excellent hard, straight and long wood.

Home to all New Zealand forest with three species varying hight and leave size it blooms in a brilliant yellow. This is responsible to the Maori naming kowhai what translated means the colour yellow. Blooming time is at the end of winter to the beginning of spring from around September/ October.

The yellow blossoms are magnets to bellbirds and tuis. These are widely admired for their vivid songs. A good place to listen is the Kura Track starting at Whatipu.

The manuka tree is sometimes referred to as tea tree and is commonly found in the dryer parts of New Zealand and Australia.

The name tea tree originated from Captain Cook. He used its leaves to make himself a cup of tea. He said that it had a bitter taste that took getting used to, but once the leaves are dried they have a better taste. Manuka is the name Maoris gave the tree and is commonly used in New Zealand.

Manuka honey and manuka essential oil finds use in health and body care products.

The native Nikau palm stands model for many artists. Maoris used them interwoven as roofing material.

It is the palm specie that is found the furthest south. Slow but easy growing it reaches about 10-15 metres in hight. From November to April it is flowering in lilac. By November the fruits are ripe and their colour changes orange to red.

The fruits are part of the Wood Pigeon’s diet. So you might see both of them. A good place to see is at Piha Marawhara Walk and Nikau Grove Walk or at Whatipu the Kura Track.