Download Native Trees

Native Trees
This is a PowerPoint on some
native trees.
Akeake
Key facts
The Akeake tree grows up to 4 metres tall. It can grow up to 1 metre in a year. In
about 3 years time, it blooms flowers and has seeds. It prefers loose soil and can
withstand salt spray. Its seeds are hard.
Background history
It was discovered in the 1890’s in Wairua River. The original Akeake trees of
Wairua River no longer survive because they were washed away in a flood. The
female seeds fall out of their seedpods in February.
Uses in the real world
The seed pods are used for special purposes. Since its woods is dense and strong,
Maori used it to make weapons. Akeake is easily planted with its seed, which
can be found at the end of summer.
Horoeka
The young trees have no branches and are as straight as a
horse men's spare. But the young leaves change
completely when it grows. The centre strip of the young
leaves are used as bootlaces. The leaf design is based on
the leaf of mature lancewood. The young leaves are long
and narrow and over a metre length! The birds love to
eat the fruits on the tree. When the tree are adult trees
the leaves are more shorter than the young tree leaves
There are three species of lancewood, all of them are
called horoeka Maori. lancewood is common plant
throughout low land. Plants are either male or female
just like us humans!
Puriri
The Puriri tree was first found in 1769. It can go up to 20 meters tall
and it has a trunk that can grow up to 15m in a diameter. Puriri is
one of the few native trees with large colourful flowers. Puriri
flowers look like snapdragon flowers. The flower has two petals and
four long male parts of the flower.
Some flowers can be found on the Puriri all year! The fruit is bright red.
The tree is found in the top half on the North Cake. Puriri rich areas
were burned to have good farm lands. It provides food source for
wild life and it makes fruit and nectar. It also provides a year of
food for birds. Puriri is the only New Zealand tree that has hard
wood, which can make furniture and ships. The wood is quite tuff.
The tree produces flowers and fruit almost every year. Its bright red
berries are loved by birds. Some places of the Puriri trees have
finger sized holes where the fat caterpillars made their homes. The
bard was provided by early Maori with a source of yellow two colour
flax for weaving. The Puriri tree has a special moth for the tree.
Taraire
This tree grows up to 22 meters and has a very big top
section. The bark is dark brown and smooth and the
branches tend to spread very wide. The dark green
leaves grow up to 34-38 millimetres wide. Its leaf stems
are 8-12 millimetres long. The fruit of the Taraire tree is a
favourite to the NZ pigeon. The purple fruit is covered in
a waxy bloom. The fruit contains 1 seed in every berry.
The fruit ripens between March and November. The
Taraire only occurs in the North Island and it is also most
common to the north of Auckland. The wood of the
Taraire is used for flooring, furniture, picture frames and
fire wood. The large cooked seeds were eaten by early
Maori and when they were roasted they tasted like
potato.
Photos
The first one on the
one beside it is the
Horoeka. The one
on the bottom left
is the left is the
Akeake tree.
Puriri. The last one
is the Taraire.
By Kai Wei, Hannah,
Flora, Elena and Jyun
We hoped you enjoyed
this PowerPoint!