broadleaf with large glossy leaves catching the light
- Size
- Height: 10–15 m
- Lifespan
- 100–200 years
- Diet
- Not applicable (tree)
- Habitat
- Coastal forests, lowland forests, forest margins, and scrub. Prefers fertile, well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade. Tolerates salt spray, wind, and poor soils. Often used as a hedge plant in gardens.
- Range
- Found throughout New Zealand from Northland to Stewart Island. Most common in coastal and lowland forests. Also found on the Chatham Islands and Stewart Island. One of New Zealand most widespread trees.
- Endemism
- Native
- Main Threats
- Habitat loss from land clearance is the primary threat. Browsing by introduced possums and deer. No significant commercial use. Climate change affecting forest habitats and coastal areas.
- Population
- Populations are considered stable and widespread. The species is common in coastal and lowland forests throughout New Zealand. It is not threatened by habitat loss because it remains abundant in both wild and cultivated settings.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
One of New Zealand's most widespread native trees. A tree of the edge.
Broadleaf grows from Northland to Stewart Island, from the coast to the mountains. It is a tree of the edge, of the margin, of the place where the forest meets the sea. A tree that likes the boundary.
The leaves are thick, glossy, and oval, up to ten centimetres long, dark green above and pale below. They are arranged alternately along the branches, and they are the reason for the name – broadleaf, broad-leafed, a tree that does not hide its foliage. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, greenish-yellow, followed by small black berries. The fruit is eaten by birds, which spread the seeds across the landscape.
A tree of the coast. Broadleaf tolerates salt spray and wind like few others. It grows on coastal cliffs, on exposed headlands, in the teeth of the storm. Its leaves are tough, its branches are flexible, its roots hold the soil.
The timber is pale and durable. Māori used it for making tools, clubs, and digging sticks. The dense, bushy growth provided shelter and nesting sites for birds. The tree was also used in traditional medicines.
To see a broadleaf is to see a tree of the coast. The coastal cliff is windy. The broadleaf stands, glossy leaves dark green, branches bending in the gale. The salt spray coats its leaves. The tree does not flinch. It has been here for centuries.
It will be here as long as the coast remains. The name Kāpuka refers to the dense, bushy growth habit. The tree is a living wall against the wind. That is its job.