The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Hi, I made a new years resolution to learn the trees in NZ, partly for my own edification but also so I can teach my kids to look more around them than I did growing up. For the main natives this is easy enough but it is the non natives that throw me. This tree is on the Terrace in Wellington. I assume for someone who knows trees it is reasonably easy as it has a very smooth trunk, milk like stains where the branches have been cut and long pointed flower cases (?) at the ends of the branches. Any ideas ?

Hi Rhys, that looks like a Moreton bay fig or something similar. The flower cases will be the leaf buds probably. If you are trying to learn exotic trees the only NZ reference are 2 books published by John Salmon, one covers the conifers the other the broadleaves. There are a number of errors in the book (search the newsletters in Publications and there is an article giving these), but they are a good start. The bible is still the Flora of NZ Volume IV, but it is not recommended for beginners, and even reasonably advanced botanists struggle with it. Andrew Crowes books are great for kids - and I have seen some pretty advanced identifications on the shore of Lake Waikaremoana by a teenager using one. Good luck, and a great endeavour!

Thanks Mike, I started with one of Andrew Crowe's books but I needed one with all of the natives in it. The problem otherwise was that I didnt know if it was just a native missing from the book or I needed to go searching wider so I have John Dawson & Rob Lucas's field guide to native trees which I like. I also have a British guide which helps but was never going to pick up an Australian native like this one. Plenty more trees I'm unsure of so I'll be back ! Thanks a lot

Other books that I find very useful are Hugh Wilsons guide to Stewart Island plants - I even found it useful in Northland! Peter Johnson's Wetland Plants book is also very good, but naturally only wetland plants. Both cover native and exotic plants. Above the Treeline, NZ Alpine Plants are also useful books