The dense bush is dominated by kāmahi and southern rātā along with abundant broadleaf and tāwheowheo and occasional fuchsia and pōkākā. Tall shrubs like Olearia, Brachyglottis and Dracophyllum become common close to the treeline.

Above the canopy, Hall’s tōtara is everywhere. Rimu and miro are common at lower elevations and kaikawaka, pink pine and mountain toatoa are more often found at higher elevations.

The expected natural range of Hall’s tōtara-miro/kāmahi-southern rātā-broadleaf forest across Aotearoa is 174,497 hectares.

Common native species, photos courtesy of NZ Plant Conservation Network: