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Nothofagus cliffortioides
Mountain beech is a southern beech tree endemic to New Zealand, found at high elevations in mountain regions and growing from forest down to stunted "goblin forest" near treeline. Its key to growing is cool, open conditions suited to its mountain habitat, as it does not thrive in warm lowland heat.
Nothofagus cliffortioides, commonly called mountain beech (Māori: tawhai rauriki), is a species of southern beech tree and is endemic to New Zealand. Mountain beech grows in mountainous regions at high elevations. In New Zealand the taxon is called Fuscospora cliffortioides. Nothofagus cliffortioides occupies a wider range of habitat than any other New Zealand tree species and it shows a corresponding range of life form, seeding habits, regenerative patterns, growth habits, growth rates, stand replacement and mortality patterns.
Mountain beech grows to around 20 metres (66 ft) but near the treeline forms a "goblin forest" where the trees are no more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall. It also has leaves that are elongated and have a pointed end.
Mountain beech is eaten by the mountain beech flat moth (Proteodes carnifex), and is a host plant for the lichens Yarrumia colensoi and Podostictina degelii, and the fungi Annulohypoxylon bovei and Rossbeevera pachydermis.
Rauli · Antarctic Beech · Magellan's Beech · Myrtle Beech · Coigue · Red Beech · Roble Colorado · Nothofagus macrocarpa · Silver Beech · Roble beech · Lenga Beech · Black Beech
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Nothofagus cliffortioides 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.
