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Corynocarpus laevigatus
Also called New Zealand Laurel
Karaka is an evergreen tree native to New Zealand, usually a coastal species that can also grow inland in the North Island. It is grown as a tree in gardens and streetscapes rather than as a houseplant.
Corynocarpus laevigatus, commonly known as karaka or the New Zealand laurel, is an evergreen tree in the family Corynocarpaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is common throughout the North Island and less common in the South Island. C. laevigatus individuals are also found on the Chatham Islands, Kermadec Islands, and the Three Kings Islands. C. laevigatus is mainly a coastal tree, although in the North Island, it is also found inland.
Corynocarpus laevigatus was first described in 1776 by the German naturalists Georg and Johann Reinhold Forster. C. laevigatus grows to heights of up to 15–20 metres (50–70 feet) and has a trunk of up to 60 centimetres (20 inches) in diameter. Its leaves are leathery, dark to bright green in colour and up to 15–30 cm (6–10 in) long. C. laevigatus produces large oval-shaped orange-coloured fruits. C.
Corynocarpus laevigatus is found in large numbers throughout the North Island and South Island as far south as the Banks Peninsula on the east coast of the South Island and Greymouth, on the West Coast. It is also found on the Chatham Islands, Kermadec Islands, and the Three Kings Islands. It is possible that before Polynesian arrival in New Zealand, C. laevigatus was likely restricted to the far north of the North Island, despite its current range across offshore islands and the northern half of the South Island, which likely spread from Māori plantings. Populations are often found in association with former pā (Māori village) sites.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Corynocarpus laevigatus 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.
