Name: The Plant Company
Address: 284 Meeanee Road, Meeanee, Napier, 4112, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 843 752
Price range: Contact Us
Rating: 4.8/5

tall native trees nz

If you’re looking to transform your landscape with stature, beauty, and biodiversity, choosing tall native trees NZ gardeners love is a wise and rewarding decision. New Zealand’s towering natives offer everything from wildlife habitats and natural shade to stunning seasonal displays, making them ideal for shelterbelts, privacy screens, or statement feature trees in large gardens and lifestyle blocks. Let’s explore some of the most iconic and versatile tall native trees NZ has to offer, along with tips on how and where they thrive best.

Prumnopitys taxifolia (Matai)

Prumnopitys taxifolia, commonly known as Matai or Black Pine, is a stately, NZ native tree with quite different juvenile and adult forms. The juvenile form has orange branches held with a tangled appearance and silver-coloured foliage. The tree eventually develops dense, yellow-green foliage and distinctive hammer mark patterns on the trunk.

Buy Prumnopitys taxifolia (Matai)

From $309.51

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Trees

Height: 25.00 m

Spread: 5.00 m

Tolerances: Hardy

Garden uses: Parks, Ponds, Screening, Specimen

Garden styles: Alpine, Forestry, Native

Alectryon excelsus

Alectryon excelsus, commonly known as the Titoki tree, is a handsome New Zealand native tree valued for its lush, glossy foliage and tidy, rounded form. Growing 6–10 metres tall, it makes an excellent shade or specimen tree in both urban and rural settings. Titoki is wind-tolerant, frost-hardy in most areas, and well-suited to coastal conditions.

Buy Alectryon excelsus

From $14.95

Suited to regions: Subtropical, Temperate

Plant type: Trees

Height: 8.00 m

Spread: 3.00 m

Flowering time: Summer

Tolerances: Shade, Wind

Garden uses: Hedging, Parks, Ponds, Screening, Specimen

Garden styles: Backyard, City & Courtyard, Formal, Frontyard, Modern, Native

Why Plant Tall Native Trees in New Zealand?

Tall native trees in NZ aren't just impressive for their height—their value extends to providing shelter, supporting native birdlife, stabilising soils, and connecting you with Aotearoa’s unique heritage. Choosing species that evolved in our climate means they’re typically more resilient to local pests, diseases, and weather extremes. Tall natives like Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (Kahikatea), Prumnopitys taxifolia (Matai), and Kunzea robusta each deliver their own special benefits for a thriving New Zealand garden.

Top Tall Native Trees NZ Gardeners Love

Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (Kahikatea)

Known as New Zealand’s tallest native tree, Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (Kahikatea) can soar up to 60 metres in mature forests. This majestic evergreen creates a beautiful canopy and provides valuable food and habitat for native birds. While Kahikatea prefers moist conditions and grows well in wetlands, it’s surprisingly adaptable to a range of garden settings given enough space.

Prumnopitys taxifolia (Matai)

Another iconic tall native, Prumnopitys taxifolia (Matai), is revered for its upright form, attractive bark, and lush dark green leaves. Mature Matai trees can reach 25 metres or more, making them a superb choice for enhancing larger urban gardens, rural blocks, or reforestation projects.

Kunzea robusta

Fast-growing and hardy, Kunzea robusta (often called kanuka) is a versatile native well-suited to shelterbelts or regenerating bush blocks. With the right conditions, Kunzea robusta can reach 15-20 metres high, offering shelter and habitat for a range of native creatures while thriving on a variety of soil types.

Laurelia novae-zelandiae

For those seeking a striking specimen with lush foliage, Laurelia novae-zelandiae, or pukatea, is a superb choice. In the right environment, this water-loving species forms a broad, tall canopy up to 35 metres high, and features stunning buttressed roots—an exceptional feature tree for larger properties or native restoration areas.

Beilschmiedia tawa (Tawa Tree)

The graceful Beilschmiedia tawa (Tawa Tree) is another tall native reaching 20 metres or more in the wild, with glossy leaves and smooth, pale bark. Tawa’s elegant profile makes it ideal for planting as a specimen or as part of a native woodland.

Success Tips for Establishing Tall Native Trees

Getting the best from tall native trees NZ landscapes require comes down to right-plant, right-place. Allow plenty of space, provide consistent moisture while young, and mulch well to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture. Mix species to mimic natural bush environments and support local ecology. Once established, these magnificent natives reward with generations of beauty and resilience.

Explore our full range of tall native trees NZ gardeners trust to anchor their landscapes—bring the spirit of Aotearoa into your outdoor space for years to come.

Contact us

Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.

tall native trees nz

Prumnopitys taxifolia (Matai)

Alectryon excelsus

Did you find what you are looking for?

Why Plant Tall Native Trees in New Zealand?