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Story: Shrubs and small trees of the forest

Juvenile kaikōmako

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Juvenile kaikōmako

Found throughout lowland forest, kaikōmako (Pennantia corymbosa) is another tree that passes through a juvenile phase with small leaves and dense interlacing twigs. Adult leaves are coarsely toothed. Kaikōmako’s wood is hard and was used by Māori as fire-sticks.

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New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

by Jeremy Rolfe

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How to cite this page

Joanna Orwin, Shrubs and small trees of the forest – Lookalike subcanopy trees, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13799/juvenile-kaikomako (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Joanna Orwin, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 July 2015.