Kohekohe Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Kohekohe

Kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Dysoxylum
Species:	spectabile

The Kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile) is a special tree that grows in New Zealand. It is a medium-sized tree, meaning it's not too big and not too small. You can find it mostly in lowland and coastal forests. This tree is common across the North Island and also in the Marlborough Sounds at the top of the South Island.

When fully grown, a Kohekohe tree can reach up to 15 meters (about 50 feet) tall. Its trunk can be as wide as one meter (about 3 feet). Kohekohe forests used to cover many damp areas near the coast. However, many of these forests are now gone. This happened because people used the land for towns and farms. Also, possums ate many of the trees.

Kohekohe is sometimes called New Zealand mahogany. This is because its wood is similar to real mahogany. It is light, strong, and can be polished to a beautiful red color.

What Makes Kohekohe Special?
- How People Have Used Kohekohe
- Protecting Kohekohe Forests
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What Makes Kohekohe Special?

Kohekohe trees have some unique features, just like trees in tropical places.

Its white flowers and red fruits grow right from the trunk or main branches. This is called cauliflory.
It has large, shiny leaves that are made up of smaller leaflets. These leaves can be up to 40 millimeters (about 1.5 inches) long.

How People Have Used Kohekohe

The Māori, who are the native people of New Zealand, used Kohekohe in different ways.

They would boil the bark in water. They drank this liquid as a special health tonic.
The wood was used to build canoes. However, Kohekohe wood is quite soft. It does not last as long as other types of wood.
Even though it is soft, Kohekohe wood is good for carving. Artists value it for making beautiful artworks.

Protecting Kohekohe Forests

Long ago, Kohekohe trees likely covered most of Kapiti Island. This island is off the coast of the North Island. In the early 1800s, much of the forest was cleared. People used the land for farming.

Today, the Kohekohe forest on Kapiti Island is growing back. This is because possums were removed from the island in 1986. Possums eat the leaves and flowers of Kohekohe, which harms the trees. Protecting these trees helps the forest become healthy again.