NEW ZEALAND TREES BEECHES

Korero (AEWS), Volume 2, Issue 20, 9 October 1944, Page 18

NEW ZEALAND TREES BEECHES

By

Director of

Dominion Museum, Wellington

New Zealand forests may be divided into two principal groups —pine and broad-leaved forests on the

one hand, and beech forests on the other. While in the first group there is a mixture of trees, in beech forests the dominant trees are one or more species of beech. There are five species of beech in New Zealand. They all have much smaller leaves than have the beeches of the Northern Hemisphere ; and there are differences in the flowers as well. Generally, beeches are found in poorer or drier land than are the broad-leaved trees. They affect mainly mountainous districts, while in the valleys the more luxuriant mixed forests predominate. Beeches are noble trees with straight, dark-coloured trunks bearing the foliage in a more or less stratified manner. This results in least damage from wind.

The mountain beech has small, simple leaves. It grows in the more unfavourable forest situations. For instance, in the dry districts of West Canterbury and on the mountains east of the divide it is the principal tree, It forms the upper limit of vegetation on Mount Ruapehu, but, strangely enough, is absent from Mount Egmont. The black beech has simple leaves, larger than those of the mountain beech. Like the mountain beech, it grows in localities unfavourable to other trees. The silver beech is a beautiful tree with shining round leaves with finelylobed margins. It likes wet and foggy climates, and grows to an immense size. The two other species—the red beech and clinker beech—have serrated leaves. These trees form extensive forests in both islands. When polished, beech timber has a pleasing lustre with a wave-like pattern. Silver beech is a light-coloured wood very suitable for furniture, houses, tool handles, and so on. Red beech, as the name implies, has red wood. It is valuable for outside work — railway sleepers, wharves, bridges, posts, and so on. The timber of all kinds of beeches is extensively used. All species of beech, but especially the silver beech, are worthy of cultivation. As with the northern beeches, copper-coloured varieties are known.