Some of the rimu trees in Pukaha Mount Bruce

The weeping habit, shaggy crown and bark falling away in heavy scales make rimu one of the most easily recognised large trees in the forest. In dense forest rimu has a relatively small crown, its branches are laden with epiphytes and its trunk is up to 20 metres in length. Male and female cones are produced on different trees, the seeds being held on the female tree for 15 months, ripening between January and March and providing a valuable food source for wildlife. The breeding cycle of the endangered kakapo has been linked to the fruiting cycle of the rimu. The rimu is found throughout New Zealand’s 3 main islands.

rimu fruit