Rewarewa

Knightia excelsa

The picture of the Rewarewa tree is on the track down to the table.

Rewarewa is common around the lodge.

Rewarewa is common in the Tangihua ranges where there is regenerating forest.

Around the lodge up until the 1970s the forest was occasionally burnt to improve grazing. Rewarewa tends to be taller than other regrowth trees as it and its branches tend to grow straight up. Because of this, its quick growth and ability to establish in open areas many trees can be seen from the lodge deck.

Rewarewa is a broad leaf forest tree growing to 30 m tall, with a slender crown. Its adult leaves are about 10–15 centimetres long, thick and coarsely toothed. The younger trees leaves tend to be narrower but of a similar shape.

Rewarewa are pollinated largely by bees and birds such as tūī, korimako (bellbird) and tauhou (waxeye), which seek the nectar from the flowers.

Rewarewa honey is very similar to Manuka ans is occasionally passed of as such. It does not have the antibacterial properties of manuka honey

The wood is easily identified by it’s speckled appearance, caused by darker red to purplish medullary rays through silvery pinkish sapwood.

Flowers

Rewarewa has a distinctive red flower in October – November. The complicated flower structure is is to prevent cross pollination and has adapted to bird pollination.

Rewarewa produces bunches of bottle-brush flowers in spring. it is a raceme ( flower cluster with the separate flowers attached by short equal stalks at equal distances along a central stem. The flowers at the base of the central stem develop first) and can comprise up to 80 individual flowers.

The dark red flowers have four parts, called corolla lobes, and, as the buds open, the individual lobes separate and coil back tightly to form a tangled mass around the base of the flowers. The green tipped pistils (the sexual part of the flower) are then left pointing outward, where they are pollinated largely by bees and birds such as tūī, korimako (bellbird) and tauhou (waxeye), which seek the nectar from the flowers.

The fruit is woody and pod-like (up to 4cm long) splitting into two halves to release wind dispersed winged seeds. The winged seed similar in shape and size to Kauri seeds.

The leaves of juvenile plants are broad and taper to a point at both ends,toothed, up to 30cm long. Those on older saplings and trees are 15 cm. long, narrow-oblong and coarsely toothed.