A tree rather similar to N. cunninghamii, this NZ beech southern has small leaves to 10mm-15mm with tieried branches and grows in montane and subalpine  areas to 1200m of both the N and S Islands from around Auckland south.

Conditions for growth and uses:

1. bark silvery in colour with horizontal grooves across the trunks in the wild, but more reddish brown in cultivation
2. leaves have hairy pits underside bases
3. full sun to some afternoon shade
4. tolerates frost to about -9C
5. Adapts to very mild summers like in Scotland, probably better than the similar N.cunninghamii
6. yellow to pink new growing tips and leaves are highly ornamental
7. makes a good bonsai specie, as it naturally forms multi stemmed, dwarf habit at high altitude on exposed sites
8. If open grown becomes a spreading tree domed upright form to around 15m
9. Forest grown trees can reach 30m with trunk diameters of 2m or more in high rainfall areas
10. Makes an excellent screen and windbreak to 10m or so
11. requires around 700mm of rainfall per year and benefits from cooler south and east aspects with 50mm in the driest month
12. summer irrigation will significantly increase growth
13. recommended for districts at 500m asl in the southern ranges of SE Australia up to 1500m in the northern tablelands of NSW