pūriri the ancient heart of the northern forest

Size
Height: 15–20 m
Lifespan
300–600 years
Diet
Produces clusters of pink, bell-shaped flowers rich in nectar. Attracts tūī, bellbirds, and kākā. Flowers followed by small, pink, fleshy fruits eaten by native birds including kererū.
Habitat
Lowland forests of upper North Island from Northland to Gisborne and Taranaki. Tree of warm, rich, deep soils on volcanic plains and fertile river valleys. Does not grow in south.
Range
Found in lowland forests of upper North Island from Northland down to Gisborne and Taranaki. Most common in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, and Taranaki.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Habitat loss is primary threat. Many great old-growth puriri felled for timber. Also threatened by possum browsing on seedlings and new growth. Land clearance for agriculture.
Population
Not Threatened, though many great old-growth Puriri were felled for timber in 19th and early 20th centuries. Still common in northern lowland forests and regenerating bush.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
native broadleaf tree, safe to handle
Conservation Note
Endemic tree; widespread in lowland and montane forests throughout New Zealand.
Assessment
NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
Te Ao Māori
Pūriri. Name is soft, almost whisper. In Māori tradition, Puriri is tree of strength and endurance. Wood used for weapons of chiefs. Mere, patu, clubs passed down through generations. Puriri weapon was taonga. Treasure. Object of power. Tree itself was marker. Grove of Puriri meant deep soil. Fresh water. Place where forest was old and land was good. Tree of kāinga. Village. Settled place. Fruit fed kererū. Kererū fed people. Puriri part of chain. Tree to bird to human. Link in web of life.
Thick, gnarled trunk spreads out like roots of ancient oak. Pūriri is not tallest – kauri and rimu outgrow it – but most solid. Bark is dark brown and rough. Cracks into square, blocky plates that look like jigsaw puzzle. Tree looks like it has been here forever. And it has. Leaves are proper, broad, glossy. Three to five leaflets arranged like hand. Each one smooth, dark green, shiny. Looks almost tropical. Makes sense because Pūriri is member of mint family. Tree grows 20 metres tall. Leaves size of palm. Related to sage in garden. Evolution is strange. Flowers are real show. In winter and spring, when rest of forest is grey and quiet, Pūriri erupts in clusters of pinkish-red blossoms. Look like snapdragons. Tubular and lipped. Hanging from branches like small, velvety bells. Flowers filled with nectar. So much nectar that tūī, kākā, and silvereye fight over them. Chasing each other through canopy in frenzy of sugar and feathers. Pūriri feeds winter birds when nothing else will. After flowers come fruit. Bright red berry about size of cherry. Single hard seed inside. Berries are edible. Sweet, but not much flesh. Kererū (wood pigeon) loves them. Pigeon swallows berry whole. Digests flesh. Poops out seed somewhere else. Pūriri travels on wings. Wood is legendary. Dense, heavy, incredibly strong. Used for shipbuilding. For fence posts that last century. For bearings of water mills. Māori carved it into weapons. Mere, patu, clubs of warriors. Wood does not rot. Does not crack. Does not give up. Pūriri fence post sunk into ground in 1880 is probably still standing. To sit under Pūriri on summer afternoon is to sit under green umbrella. Dense canopy. Broad leaves. Deep shade. Tūī singing. Bees buzzing in flowers. Kererū wobbling on branch digesting belly full of berries. Tree of north. Old noble. One that feeds birds and shades ground and holds line. Habitat loss is primary threat. Many great old-growth puriri felled for timber in 19th and early 20th centuries. Also threatened by possum browsing on seedlings and new growth. Land clearance for agriculture and urban development. Not Threatened. Still common in northern lowland forests. Regenerating bush. Specimen tree in parks and gardens. Not rare. Just tree of north. No one told it otherwise.