The southern lacebark. A tree that turns into a cloud of white petals in summer. Houi has a mass of white flowers that transform the tree into a cloud of petals in summer. At eight to twelve metres in height, it is a small, fast-growing tree, with a rounded crown and pale, fibrous bark that peels in long, thin strips. The leaves are dark green and toothed, and the flowers are white, star-shaped, and borne in large clusters. A tree that wears a cloud. A tree of the open places. Houi grows in lowland and montane forests, scrublands, and regenerating bush, preferring open, sunny locations with well-drained, fertile soils. Often found along forest margins, in clearings, and in scrublands, colonising areas after disturbance. A fast-growing, light-demanding species, a pioneer that colonises open areas and regenerating forest. Its white flowers are produced in summer, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The fruit is a small, dry capsule that splits open to release tiny, winged seeds. Closely related to houhere (lacebark). Houi has larger leaves and flowers with six styles (houhere has five), and it is found in the South Island and southern North Island, while houhere is more common in the north. To see a Houi in full flower is to see a tree transformed. The forest edge is sunny. The houi blooms, white cloud of petals against the green, sweet scent in the air. The bees buzz. The butterflies land. The tree does not know it is a lacebark. It does not know it is a pioneer. It just wants to be pollinated. The bark of Houi was used by Māori for making cordage, nets, and traps. The tree is of the southern forests, of the open places. That is where it belongs.