Totara is one of the great trees of NZ and reach their largest size up to 30m in central North Island on deep soils in the river valleys.

Features include:

1. Thick, stringy bark revealing reddish undersides and becoming deeply furrowed
2. a bushy, conical tree at first then later with age a domed, upright tree with a few ascending branches
3. Foliage consists of waxy, stiff blue-green needles up to 3cm long
4. trunk to 2m and in ancient specimens up to 3.6m
5. found in lowland forests of both islands up to around 480m
6. Leaves are fire retardant
7. the wood makes good to excellent and durable timber and the Maori used it for canoe building
8. Can live up to 900 years
9. Can be planted to form a hedge rather like the yew
10. responds well to trimming like hedging species
11. tolerates sub alpine exposure and would grow well above 500m in SE Australia with about 600m or more rainfall.