Kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides)
Young trees have long, narrow and slightly curved leaves, almost fern looking, until they reach 1-2 metres high. Adult trees have leaves that are short, overlapping, like fish scales and can grow to over 15 metres. The cones are highly modified, swelling at maturity into an orange to red, fleshy fruit with a single black seed. The seed is dispersed by native birds , mostly kereru that eat the seeds with the fleshy fruit, and pass the seeds in their droppings.
Kahikatea tolerate frosts but don't do well with drought until well established. Grows rapidly on fertile, well-drained soil, but more tolerant of waterlogged, swampy soils than most trees.