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Story: Evolution of plants and animals

Tree fuchsia

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Tree fuchsia

The tree fuchsia or kotukutuku (Fuchsia excorticata) is the largest fuchsia in the world and one of a handful of deciduous native trees. Most New Zealand trees are evergreen. They have evolved to live in a climate that is neither strongly seasonal nor extreme.

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Natural Sciences Image Library of New Zealand

Reference: Di13350Rbt.tif

by G. R. Roberts

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How to cite this page

Matt McGlone, Evolution of plants and animals – Plants in a mild climate, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12443/tree-fuchsia (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Matt McGlone, published 1 March 2009.