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Story: Conifers

Kahikatea stand

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Kahikatea stand

Kahikatea, New Zealand’s tallest tree, grows in dense stands on moist, fertile soils. This stand is alongside Arahaki Lagoon, a shallow lake in the Whirinaki Forest Park, in the central North Island. Mature trees usually develop buttresses at the base of their trunk to give support in waterlogged soils.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10054781

by Les Molloy

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How to cite this page

Maggy Wassilieff, Conifers – Rimu and kahikatea, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12654/kahikatea-stand (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 1 March 2009.