The Hinau Tree

Forest and Bird, Issue 104, 1 May 1952, Page 8

The Hinau Tree

By

ALBERT KILMISTER

TJINAU trees were fairly numerous in the ■®- * hill country bush. They grow to about 25 feet tall and up to 4 feet in diameter with spreading branches. It was the medium-sized dead trees that produced most of the good, durable heart timber for posts, rails, and battensthey were a real boon to the pioneer farmers. The large trees are mostly decayed inside, while the medium-sized green trees are mostly sap wood that was of no value for the purpose. When felled, the crash as the branches hit the ground would be the last straw to a flock of kaka, who would fly around over the bush screeching as if very annoyed at the loss of their dear old hinau tree.

The tops and the few big limbs on the old hinau are hollow and were the nesting places of the kaka, parrakeets, and kingfisher. The white man brought bees to New Zealand; some soon went wild and made their hives in the birds’ nesting places. Hinau flowers are like lily-of-the-valley, the berries are like small stony marbles in colour and size with a dry mealy coating on the outside. Not a showy berry on the —perhaps Nature intended them mainly for the ground birds in winter time. The berries dropped off in such quantities as to nearly cover the ground under the trees.