Kahikatea (white pine)
Dacrycarpus dacrydioides
New Zealand's tallest tree, happiest with wet feet; its little red-footed berries, koroī, were gathered by the basketful.
Hardiness: zones 8 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 130 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: September to October
From: Aotearoa New Zealand
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, wildlife.
Native to: Aotearoa New Zealand. Hardy in zones 8 to 10.
The story
Kahikatea belongs to a lineage older than the birds that eat its fruit; its ancestors stood in the forests of Gondwana. Māori climbed the tall trunks to gather the berries. Because the pale wood has no scent, it was later sawn into boxes for exporting butter.
Planting
Sun and wet, fertile ground. It is the tree for a swampy paddock corner or a stream flat.
Growing
Keep it moist. It is slow at first and can live for 500 years.
Harvest and use
On female trees, small sweet orange-red berries in autumn, each carrying a seed on its tip. A whole community of plants lives on the branches of old trees.
What to watch for
Drought. It becomes very large.
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home