Where can you find Rimu trees?

New Zealand
Rimu grows throughout New Zealand, in the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. This species is common in lowland and montane forest.

How tall does a Rimu tree grow?

50 metres
Rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) is the commonest and most widely distributed conifer in New Zealand, growing from Northland down to Stewart Island. It is a tall tree, and its crown usually emerges above the main canopy of forest trees. On well-drained fertile sites, it grows to 50 metres in height.

How long does it take for a Rimu tree to mature?

It is predicted that around 15% of natural seedlings survive 35 years to reach an average height of 1.4 m. Rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum Lamb.) is New Zealand’s most common podocarp that once dominated the central lowland forests on the West Coast.

Is Rimu a good wood?

Rimu is a medium density softwood with a fine textured grain, the heart wood is reddish brown. The middle zone known as coloured Rimu has a light brown colour and the sap wood a Pale lighter brown tone. The timber works easily and well with both hand and machine tools….Rimu NZ.

What are Rimu trees used for?

Rimu is a superior building wood, and was commonly used by early colonists in constructing houses, cabinets and furniture. Māori found a variety of uses for the wood aswell; as spears, canoes, torches and a host of other tools and implements. The gum is bitter but edible and was applied to wounds to stop bleeding.

Are Rimu trees protected?

These trees used to be an important building material. Many homes and buildings have beautiful reddish/brown floor boards, doors, or panelling that is Rimu. That coloring of the wood gave rise to calling these trees ‘red pine’. They are now protected from logging on public land, but some continues on private land.

Is Rimu a hardwood or softwood?

Rimu is a fine, even-textured, medium-density softwood. The seasoned heartwood is reddish-brown, sometimes yellowish-brown and has pigmented figure which fades on exposure to light. The intermediate zone has an even, light-brown colour and sapwood a lighter brown tone. It is straight grained.

Is Rimu endangered?

Least Concern (Population increasing)
Rimu/Conservation status

Is Rimu wood expensive?

“Getting re-runs of species like rimu can get quite expensive if you’re going to have exposed timber.” Painted wood has a character and story all it’s own. “The downside is that if you have a nice rimu or native wood panelling that’s been painted it’s a bit of a job to get it back to bare timber again.

What does the Rata tree look like?

The top is shining green, but the bottom is whitish and is covered in tiny hairs. Those hairs protects the leaves from the salt of the ocean. The edges of the leaves may also be slightly rolled up. Rata leaves are glossy on both sides, dark green on the top and paler on the underside.

Can I cut trees on my property?

By law, you have the right to trim branches and limbs that extend past the property line. However, the law only allows tree trimming and tree cutting up to the property line. You may not go onto the neighbor’s property or destroy the tree.