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tawhai rauriki

foliage palette
fruit & flower palette

Fuscospora cliffortioides | mountain beech, tawhai rauriki

 

A tree with small, leathery leaves and smooth, silver-grey bark, well-suited to cool, high-altitude environments and harsh conditions. In gardens, its graceful, upright form and ability to create a dense, woodland feel make it ideal as a specimen tree or in native plantings.This hardy, relatively slow-growing tree prefers well-drained, moist soil and tolerates full sun to partial shade and frost, making it a resilient choice for cooler climates. Allow ample space for its mature size to ensure healthy development and landscape impact.

  • typical habitat.

    montane forest 

    subalpine scrub

    subalpine forest

  • drainage.

    dry

    free draining

    well drained

    moist

  • sun.

    full sun

    partial shade

  • mature specifications.

    height | 25m

    width | 5m / 75cm (trunk)

  • pollinators calendar.

    flowering | November–January

    fruiting |  February–April

  • did you know?

    Mountain beech typically reaches about 20 meters in height, but near the treeline, it forms a unique "goblin forest" of stunted trees, often no taller than 2 meters. Its leaves are elongated and characterised by a pointed tip.

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