maire raunui
Nestegis cunninghamii | maire raunui, black marie, marie
A tall and handsome tree, reaching up to 25 meters in height with a stout, straight trunk and a broad crown of long, leathery, glossy dark green leaves featuring a recessed mid-rib. It has rough, cork-like bark and produces small green flowers in spring, followed by small green fruits that ripen to red or yellow. Widespread in coastal to montane forests and often prominent in riparian podocarp forests throughout the North, South, Little Barrier, and Great Barrier Islands, it is now scarce north of Auckland and uncommon in much of its former lowland range due to preferential logging by early settlers. Black maire is best suited for large native plantings, including revegetation projects and parks.
typical habitat.
lowland forest
montane forest
coastal forest
riparian forest
drainage.
well drained
sun.
full sun
partial shade
mature specifications.
height | 25m
width | 8m / 1.5m (trunk)
pollinators calendar.
flowering | October–November
fruiting | December–April
did you know?
Māori valued its timber was highly, primarily for crafting tools and weapons. Examples include wedges for splitting wood, kō (digging sticks), canoe paddles and bailers, beaters, mallets, and even thin, double-pointed spears, although its weight made it unsuitable for some other weaponry.