pōkaka of the cool montane forest interior

Size
Height: 10–15 m
Lifespan
150–250 years
Diet
Not applicable (tree)
Habitat
Lowland and hill forests, often on fertile, well-drained soils. Prefers moist, sheltered sites with partial shade. Often found in regenerating forest and along forest margins. Tolerates shade but grows best in light gaps.
Range
Found throughout New Zealand from Northland to Stewart Island. Most common in lowland and hill forests. Also found on the Chatham Islands. More common in the South Island than 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 throughout New Zealand. It is threatened by ongoing habitat loss and browsing by possums.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
A relative of hīnau. Pōkākā has similar leaves and fruit, but it is a tree of two faces. A tree that changes its mind. The juvenile form is completely different from the adult – a strategy to hide from the moa. The juvenile leaves are deeply serrated, like oak leaves, with lobes and teeth. They are pale green and soft, arranged alternately along the branches. The juvenile tree looks like a different species altogether. The adult leaves are smooth and oval, dark green and glossy. The adult tree has shed its disguise. A tree that grows out of its costume. The flowers are small and white, hanging in clusters from the branches. The fruit is a small, black, fleshy drupe, similar to hīnau. The fruit is eaten by birds, which spread the seeds through the forest. A tree that travels on bird wings. The wood is hard and durable. Māori used it for making weapons (patu, taiaha) and tools (adzes, chisels). The wood holds a sharp edge and does not split easily. A tree that made weapons. The name pōkākā means night parrot (pō = night, kākā = the native parrot), possibly because the kākā parrot ate the fruit. The tree is less well known than its relative hīnau but was equally valued. To see a pōkākā is to see a tree of two lives. A juvenile with oak-like leaves, hiding in the understorey. An adult with smooth leaves, standing in the canopy. A tree that learned to hide and then learned to stand. The forest understorey is dark. The juvenile hides, oak-leaved and soft, waiting for a gap in the canopy. The gap comes. The tree grows. The leaves change. The disguise drops. It has been here for millennia. It will be here as long as the forest remains.