Endemic. North Island south of Auckland, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. Tree to small shrub with young stems bearing deciduous stipules, leaves have deeply toothed margins, flowers are white or pink, clustered in spike-like racemes.
Coastal to subalpine. Slow grower up to 8m over 20 years. Kāmahi often begins life as an epiphyte, growing on the trunks of wheki or ponga. Branches, erect to spreading, Foliage has distinct seedling, juvenile and adult leaves (reversion shoots are common). Flowers attract bees making it an important honey producer. Fruit cylindrical,greyish drying to brown. Seeds orange-brown elliptic-oblong. Durable, hardy, and persistent it will grow almost anywhere,tolerating infertile soils, preferring a free draining site that becomes dry between waterings. Prune regularly to maintain shape in smaller gardens.
