There are 11 deciduous native New Zealand trees that lose all of their leaves in the autumn. Here are 3 examples of native trees that lose all their leaves.
Originally I’m from the USA and the autumn or fall was always a great time of year. I loved to see the leaves change colors in the fall. Some hillsides would come alive with the golds of Aspen trees or bright orange and reds. Here in New Zealand most of the native trees are evergreen and don’t undergo that dramatic change. However, there are a few trees and shrubs that do lose their leaves in the fall.
What Are The Main Types Of Forests In New Zealand?
Prior to getting into the deciduous trees of New Zealand I just want to remind you of what the forests are like. Before the arrival of people the islands of New Zealand were covered in forest. There are two main types of forest – broadleaf-podocarp, and beech.
The Beech forest is dominated by evergreen beech trees, which live well in colder environments.
The Broadleaf-podocarp forest is made up of a diverse number of trees. Most of those trees are evergreens, but there are some deciduous native New Zealand trees too.
There Are Only 11 Deciduous Native New Zealand Trees
Only 11 of the 260 native trees of New Zealand lose all of their leaves in the autumn and can be called completely deciduous. In addition to these 11, there are another 11 species of trees that lose some of their leaves and are called semi-deciduous.
The kowhai tree is not actually deciduous, rather it is brevisemideciduous. That is along word that means it loses its leaves, but that happens in the spring when it flowers as opposed to in the autumn. All the leaves fall off and it quickly replaces them. These trees do have their leaves during the winter.
Check out this great website, the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, that has lots of information on these species of New Zealand trees that lose their leaves in the fall.
3 Deciduous Native New Zealand Trees
Tree Fuchsia – kotukutuku
This tree is most easily recognized by its distinctive red, peeling bark. The trunk looks reddish/orangish and the bark seems to be falling right off.
Hector’s Tree Daisy – Olearia hectorii
This deciduous tree is under threat of going extinct. It is only found on the south island.
Shrubby tororaro – Muhlenbeckia astonii
This is an ecologically and culturally significant shrub that is native to New Zealand. It is an excellent example of a divaricating plant (a plant that has many interlocking branches). It is under threat and now has only a small population in central and eastern New Zealand. This plant is also known as pohuehue and mingimingi.