kohekohe with flowers bursting straight from the trunk

Size
Height: 10–15 m
Lifespan
100–200 years
Diet
Not applicable (tree)
Habitat
Lowland and coastal forests, especially on fertile, well-drained soils. Prefers warm, humid conditions with partial shade. Often found in association with pūriri, tawa, and karaka in northern forests.
Range
Found in lowland forests of the North Island from Northland to Wellington. Rare in the northern South Island (Marlborough). Most common in coastal and lowland forests of the North Island.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Habitat loss from land clearance is the primary threat. Browsing by introduced possums and deer. Climate change affecting forest habitats. No significant pest or disease issues other than possums.
Population
Populations have declined due to land clearance but remain stable in remaining forest fragments. The species is still common in lowland forests of the North Island. It is threatened by ongoing habitat loss and browsing by possums.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
A member of the mahogany family. A tree that flowers from its trunk. Kohekohe has large, glossy, pinnate leaves that resemble those of a tropical tree. The leaves are divided into leaflets arranged like a feather, dark green and shiny. The tree is handsome, with a straight trunk and a rounded crown. A tree that looks like it belongs in the tropics. But the flowers are the story. They grow directly from the trunk and branches – a condition called cauliflory. Long, white, bottlebrush-like spikes hang down from the bark, reaching up to 30 centimetres in length. The flowers are sweetly scented, filling the forest with perfume. The tūī and bellbirds feed on the nectar, hanging upside down from the spikes. A tree that blooms from its skin. The fruit is a red, fleshy capsule that splits open to reveal black seeds. The seeds are eaten by birds, which spread them through the forest. The wood is light and soft. The name kohekohe means very soft (kohe = to be soft, kohekohe = very soft). Māori used the soft wood for making bird spears (taoroa) and for making fire by friction. The wood is easy to carve, easy to shape. Possums love kohekohe. They browse the leaves, strip the canopy, kill the tree. In some forests, the kohekohe are gone, eaten by possums. The tree is still common in the north, but the large old trees are rare. To see a kohekohe in flower is to see a tree transformed. The northern forest is warm. The kohekohe stands, white spikes hanging from its trunk, sweet perfume in the air. The tūī feed upside down. The possums are in the canopy. The tree does not know it is being eaten. It just wants to be pollinated. It will be here as long as the possums are kept away.