miro
Prumnopitys ferruginea | miro, brown pine
Miro is a striking, round-headed tree with yew-like foliage produces bright red, fleshy fruit favored by birds. Its grey-brown bark peels distinctively, and it's valued for its strong timber and suitability for hedging. While young, it needs protection from frost, but it tolerates temperatures down to -6°C once established. As the tree matures, its bark flakes off, leaving a distinctive hammer mark pattern. Each year, miro produces a crop of fleshy, bright red, plum-like fruit in autumn to early winter which is an important food source for native birds like kererū, kākā, and kōkako, who then disperse the seeds.