Trying something new this week: you can listen to this post. Let me know what you think.
I usually have my posts lined up and ready to go, but this week I got really stuck on what to write about. We have lots of birds (manu) around at the moment, but I really wanted to highlight something else, something we donât know as much about.
So I was sitting in the garden with my laptop, camera by my side, watching the tƫī, the korimako (bellbird) and the riroriro (grey warblers) in the beech tree⊠and I realised that the tree itself would be the perfect subject.
In te reo MÄori, beech are called tawai (or tawhai) and there are four species: silver, hard, red, and black - plus the mountain beech, which is a subspecies of black beech. I believe the species we have in our garden is the silver beech (Nothofagus menziesii) based on descriptions and beech forest locations around our area. It was likely brought in by birds or the wind, as it grows up to 30 metres (100 feet) so isnât exactly a garden tree! Having said that, I see nothing wrong with growing large trees in backyards as they can be cut down. Now that weâre living in the south, large trees give us an opportunity to grow and harvest some of our own firewood - itâs certainly more sustainable than anything we can purchase. Coppicing is also an option.
Tawai is an ancient species, with roots in Gondwanaland dating over 100 million years ago. When European settlers first came to Aotearoa they mistakenly called these trees âbirchesâ (in Laing & Blackwellâs Plants of New Zealand (1934) they bemoan the incorrect use of âbirchâ, wondering whether it is âfutile to hope that the more exact name will become popularâ). But - they are genetically distinct from the northern hemisphere beeches, so they arenât really beeches either! Its scientific family name, Nothofagus, means âfalse beechâ.
Tawai ngÄhere (forests) are different to our other ngÄhere in that they usually only consist of one or two tree species. In most native ngÄhere, there can be up to fifty different species in a single acre of land (about the size of two netball courts).
Itâs not that tawai donât play nice with others, though. Tawai ngÄhere can be host to lichen, mosses, and ferns - as well as our threatened native mistletoe plants. They are incredibly resilient trees, and so can survive and reproduce during times of drought or cold where other trees cannot. In addition, their seeds tend not to spread very far so create dense stands.
Iâve chosen to feature them today because of the wildlife they provide for. We have a grove of about a dozen tawai behind our large horse chestnut tree, and if I sit still long enough I can almost guarantee a sighting (or at least a hearing) of riroriro or pÄ«wakawaka. Other manu enjoy the offerings of tawai, too: during spring I will often see korimako, and in winter kererĆ« will perch in the spreading canopy. From summer through to autumn, it is a favourite spot for insects wanting to warm up. Itâs host to sooty beech scale insects (Ultracoelostoma) that produce honeydew - this is probably why I often see korimako pecking at the bark.
Last year, my friend showed me a bag moth on the side of her house and since then I have been on the hunt for bag moths in our garden. After thorough searching, I found two on the trunk of one of our tawai. They are so well camouflaged; I couldnât believe I hadnât seen them before, as it was an area of the garden I frequently used.
Theyâre beautiful trees. Deeply textured bark allowing for lichen and insects to find homes; miniscule leaves shining green, with warm ochre highlights that Monet couldnât have painted better. I have my writing table beneath our tawai for its lovely dappled shade on hot days - and for the inevitable company it provides.
Happy tree-hugging,
Zenobia x
You might also likeâŠ
Southern Beech Forest - the story of our beech ngÄhere, by Te Ara
Native Forest Restoration Trust - you may not want to plant tawai in your front garden, but you can enjoy & support native ngÄhere
Native plants that attract birds - a thorough guide and plant list from Forest & Bird
Predator control sees native bird life double - a podcast about DoCâs bird monitoring project in this West Coast beech forest
Thank youuuu!!!
ohhh I love this!