The kōtukutuku, also known as 'the tree with the peeling bark', is one of the most easily recognisable trees in the New Zealand bush. The cinnamon-coloured, paper thin, peeling bark of the kōtukutuku is certainly one of the most noticeable and defining features of this native tree, especially in winter when there is no foliage on the trees and the bark is more easily visible.

Unlike deciduous trees in North America where decreasing sunlight triggers leaves to change colour and drop, the kōtukutuku's cue to drop its leaves comes from cooler weather. Although considered deciduous throughout New Zealand, kōtukutuku found in colder southern climates drop their foliage more completely and for longer periods than those found in warmer northern climes.

In Dunedin, kōtukutuku are prolific throughout the town belt, and are at least partially responsible for the resounding bird song easily heard in the town belt and neighbouring suburbs. In August the weather warms up and the kōtukutuku puts out its first flowers of the season, directly out of the trunk and branches of the otherwise bare tree. These flowers are a favourite food of some of our most beloved and melodic native birds such as the tui, korimako/bellbird, and tauhou/silvereye.

Unfortunately, the lovely and sweet kōtukutuku flowers and berries are also a favourite food of the brush tail possum, an introduced pest. Possums love kōtukutuku so much that they often strip the trees, eventually killing them.

What can you do to help?

Predator Free NZ aims to make New Zealand predator free by the year 2050. They encourage both individuals and community groups to get involved with trapping pest species in their very own backyards! 

Did you know?

New Zealand is home to four fuchsia species, the New Zealand tree fuchsia/kōtukutuku being the largest in the world and the creeping fuchsia the smallest.