Turning over a new leaf (or not)

In some parts of the world, autumn is a time when the hillsides become resplendent in oranges, reds, and yellows before all the leaves fall from the trees. By losing their leaves, trees can conserve energy and moisture, as well as reduce their risk of being blown over in winter storms. But here in Aotearoa New Zealand, due to the typically milder winters, most trees are evergreen. 

In fact, only 11 out of 260 native trees are completely deciduous (lose all their leaves). Deciduous trees you can see in the valley include kōtukutuku/tree fuchsia. There are also another 11 species of trees, including makomako/wineberry, that lose only some of their leaves (the amount varies by location) and are known as semi-deciduous. To confuse the matter even further, some populations of kōwhai are brevideciduous, which means that they briefly lose all their leaves in spring when flowering rather than in autumn. Whew!

Autumn is also a wonderful time to go looking for fungi, which love the dark and damp. Want to learn some more about fungi? Our fungi mini-talks are starting up again in April. Head along to the bottom of the Beech Track at 2:15pm daily to hear from our wonderful visitor experience volunteers.

Kōtukutuku/tree fuchsia by Rebecca Chrystal