lacebark with intricate white bark beneath the surface
- Size
- Height: 8–12 m
- Lifespan
- 50–80 years
- Diet
- Produces masses of white, star-shaped flowers in summer rich in nectar, attracting tūī, bellbirds, and bees. Flowers followed by small dry seed capsules that release tiny seeds. Important food source for native birds and insects during summer flowering season.
- Habitat
- Coastal and lowland forests throughout North Island, particularly in the north. A tree of margins – forest edge, stream bank, regenerating clearing. Often found where light is bright and soil is damp. A tree of open, sunny places where it can stretch its branches and show off its flowers.
- Range
- Found throughout the North Island in coastal and lowland forests from Northland to Wellington. Most common in northern North Island (Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty) where conditions are warm and moist.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- None significant – this species is common in lowland forests and regenerating bush throughout its range. Also widely planted as ornamental tree in gardens and parks, valued for its beautiful bark and spectacular summer flowers. Populations are secure.
- Population
- Not Threatened. Still common in lowland forests and regenerating bush throughout its range. Also widely planted as ornamental tree in gardens and parks, valued for its beautiful bark and spectacular summer flowers. Not rare. Just a tree that knows how to dress for the occasion.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
The lacebark tree has bark as its masterpiece. The trunk is covered in a beautiful, layered bark that peels away in thin, papery sheets – like layers of parchment or pages of an old book. The bark is pale grey on the outside, but when it peels, it reveals a warm, cinnamon-brown inner layer. The effect is striking – a trunk that looks like it has been wrapped in delicate, peeling paper. Run your hand over it and you will feel the layers, the softness, the texture.
What makes it special? The flowers. In summer, Houhere erupts in masses of white, star-shaped flowers. Not large – each flower maybe two centimetres across – but produced in such profusion that tree looks like it has been dusted with snow. Heavily scented – a sweet, honey-like perfume that carries on breeze. At night, scent attracts moths, which are the tree primary pollinators.
The leaves are another clue. Houhere has broad, oval, toothed leaves that are dark green and slightly glossy on top, paler underneath. Leaves arranged alternately along branches, giving tree a somewhat open, airy canopy. Not a shade tree. A tree that lets the light through to show off its flowers.
The wood is light, soft, and straight-grained. Used by Māori for tools, handles of adzes, frames of houses. But the tree real value is in its bark. The thin, papery layers were used for kindling, for padding, for lining of storage containers. The name houhere refers to the bark and its many uses.
Biologically, Houhere is a fast grower for a native tree. It can put on several metres of height in a few years, racing towards light. A pioneer, a coloniser, a tree that takes advantage of disturbance. But not a short-lived weed. A mature Houhere can live for a century or more, its peeling bark a record of its age.
To stand under a Houhere in full flower is to stand under a cloud of white. Flowers cover branches, buzzing with bees and moths. Scent is heavy, sweet, intoxicating. Bark peels in thin, papery layers, and trunk is warm to the touch. A tree of texture, of scent, of delicate beauty.