Pigeonwood is a small native tree that thrives in lowland forests of both North and South Islands. A great small evergreen tree that produces bright red berries that are eaten by the Kereru.

Small evergreen tree found in wetter areas throughout NZ most frequently at higher, cooler altitudes and in frosty valleys. Leaves are long soft, parallel-sided with many small marginal teeth. Bark is smooth and light brown. Flowers are small in clusters most abundant on woody twigs below the leaves, yellow for female, purple for males on separate trees, flowering mid-winter to early summer. Fruits 4-6mm dark purple late winter to late summer.

Broadly conical, evergreen. Shiny, yellowy-green leaves 10-15cm lemon scented when crushed. Terminal clusters of sweetly-scented cream flowers. Good shelter and screening tree, found throughout NZ except in the cold, dry areas.

Prmarily a coastal species, indigenous to the Northern half of the North Island, growing to 20m, one or more trunks, branches spreading to upright, no divaricating juvenile stage. Leaves to 150mm long, 25-55 leaflets slightly overlapping and get smaller towards the tip, hairy, straight and appressed. Early flowering from July, up to 11 yellow flowers in a bunch.