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Beilschmiedia tarairi
Taraire is a large canopy tree native to the North Island of New Zealand, common in lowland forests north of Auckland. It is grown mainly for its shade and form, and is propagated from fresh seed.
Beilschmiedia tarairi, commonly known as taraire, is a tree of the family Lauraceae, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. It is a common canopy tree in lowland forests north of Auckland, often growing in association with kauri (Agathis australis), pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa), tawāpou (Planchonella costata), and pūriri (Vitex lucens) on basalt rocks and soils. Beilschmiedia is a genus of about 40 mainly tropical trees and shrubs with alternate to opposite leaves.
Propagation is easy from fresh seed, and better germination results if the flesh surrounding the seed is removed. It is not regarded as threatened, but future dispersal may be limited because the kererū is generally the only species that can disperse the large seeds of the taraire, which pass through its gut unharmed. North Island kōkako (Callaeas wilsoni) can also disperse the fruits, but they are now rare in areas where taraire grow.
Taraire only occurs in the North Island north of 38°S latitude. It is most common north of Auckland and Thames at about 37°S. However, scattered populations of the tree occur on the west coast between Port Waikato and the Kawhia Harbour, and inland at Pukemokemoke. On the east, it occurs in scattered locations to East Cape.
The wood of the taraire is straight-grained, but brittle and prone to split, and is not durable when exposed to the elements. It has been used for flooring, light carts, furniture, picture frames, ship's blocks, and firewood.
Beilschmiedia ambigua · Canary Ash · Southern Acorn Tree · Beilschmiedia bracteata · Beilschmiedia brunnea · Beilschmiedia castrisinensis · Beilschmiedia collina · Grey Walnut · Beilschmiedia gaboonensis · Beilschmiedia giorgii · Beilschmiedia insignis · Beilschmiedia kweo
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Beilschmiedia tarairi by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
