stands near the subalpine treeline edge

Size
Height: 8–13 m, trunk with shaggy peeling bark
Lifespan
150–250 years
Diet
Photosynthetic. Draws energy from sunlight. Obtains nutrients from well-drained soils in montane environments.
Habitat
Montane and subalpine forest, often on ridges near treeline. Prefers well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade. Tolerates cold, wind and snow.
Range
North Island from Waimā Forest south to near Taumarunui. South Island in north-west Nelson south to Arthur's Pass. Most common in montane and subalpine forests.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Habitat loss from land clearance is primary threat. Browsing by introduced possums and deer. Climate change affecting subalpine habitats.
Population
Populations considered stable in remaining forest fragments. Species common in montane and subalpine forests throughout range. Threatened by ongoing habitat loss and browsing.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
native shrub, safe to handle
Conservation Note
Endemic shrub or small tree; widespread in montane and subalpine habitats in the South Island.
Assessment
NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
Te Ao Māori
In Māori tradition mountain neinei valued for hard, durable wood. Wood used for making small tools, digging sticks and fire-making. Leaves sometimes used for thatching. Tree also used in traditional medicines. Pure stands on mountain ridges noted as distinctive features of landscape. Carpet of reddish-brown leaves beneath trees sign of tree's presence. Colour stood out against green of surrounding forest.
Wind strips its bark. Dracophyllum traversii is larger tree than lowland neinei. Reaching up to 13 metres in height. Tree that grows where air is thin. Has shaggy, peeling bark and denser pyramids of flowers than lowland relative. Leaves have smooth edges. Distinguishing them from lowland species which has toothed leaf margins. Grows in montane and subalpine forests. Sometimes forming pure stands on ridges near treeline. Tree that likes edge. Trunk is covered in thick, fibrous bark. Peels away in long, papery strips. Bark is dark brown to grey. Rough and furrowed. Wood is hard and durable. Resistant to decay. Tree that protects itself. Leaves are long and narrow. Up to 30 centimetres in length. Dark green and glossy on upper surface. Paler underneath. Leaves crowded at tips of branches. Giving tree distinctive, tufted appearance. Tree that wears leaves like crown. Flowers are white and bell-shaped. Arranged in dense, pyramidal clusters at tips of branches. Appear in summer. Followed by small, dry capsules containing numerous tiny seeds. Forest floor beneath pure stands of mountain neinei is carpeted with tree's dry, reddish-brown leaves. Leaves slow to decompose. Creating thick, acidic litter layer inhibiting growth of other plants. Leaf carpet is distinctive feature of neinei forests. Red-brown floor beneath green canopy. Māori name Neinei refers to nodding flower clusters. Plant valued for hard, durable wood. Used for making small tools, digging sticks and fire-making. Ridge is exposed. Neinei grows, trunk straight, leaves tufted, flowers nodding. Forest floor is red-brown with its own dead leaves. No other plants grow there. Neinei does not mind. It has ridge to itself. No one told it otherwise.