The fire-maker of the forest. A tree that helped make sparks. Kaikomako has a wood that was prized by Māori for its ability to create flame. At eight to twelve metres in height, it is a small, spreading tree, with a rounded crown and glossy, dark green leaves. In spring and summer, it produces masses of small, white, star-shaped flowers that cover the tree like snow, filling the air with a sweet, honey-like fragrance. A tree that is beautiful and useful. A tree of the open places. Kaikomako grows in lowland forests, scrublands, and regenerating bush, preferring open, sunny locations with well-drained, fertile soils. Often found along forest margins, in clearings, and in coastal scrub, where it tolerates wind and salt spray. A fast-growing, light-demanding species, a pioneer that colonises disturbed ground and regenerating forest. It produces small, black, berry-like fruits eaten by birds, which disperse its seeds across the landscape. The most remarkable thing about Kaikomako is its wood. It is hard and dense, and it was traditionally used by Māori for making fire by friction. A pointed stick of kaikomako was rubbed against a softer piece of wood, generating enough heat to ignite tinder, typically the dried fungus of the tinder bracket. Kaikomako was one of the preferred woods for this purpose, and its name reflects its fiery nature. A tree that made fire. To see a Kaikomako is to see a tree that has been shaped by the needs of the people who lived in the forest. The forest edge is sunny. The kaikomako grows, glossy leaves dark green, white flowers sweetly scented. A stick is cut and rubbed against a softer wood. The dust smokes. The tinder catches. The fire starts. The tree does not know it made fire. It just grows hard wood.