New Zealand: Rimu

Another of Aotearoa’s rākau rangatira, or chiefly trees, is the rimu, Dacrydium cupressinum, a member of the family that botanists call Podocarpaceae. These trees, which have been known to reach 50 meters, have distinctive leaves, and that’s what you’re seeing here in a photograph from Kawau Island on February 12th. You’re welcome to read more about the rimu, which when young reminds some people of a weeping willow; this picture lets you see why.

© 2015 Steven Schwartzman