The Rimu, distinguished by its dark red wood, develops a unique feature as it matures, with about three-quarters of its height becoming branchless. In the past the tree was mercilessly logged and with a lifespan extending between 600 and 800 years, it is rare to find forests of rimu today, especially near populated regions. Puketaha is one of these exceptions where around 85% of the forest has fine examples of rimu. This tree is particularly important to the seriously endangered kākāpō as it eats the berries that fall from this tree. This is one of the primary reasons for the proposed Puketaha Wildlife Sanctuary.
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