Silver beech

Nothofagus menziesii (silver beech) is an evergreen tree in the family Nothofagaceae. It reaches a height of up to 30 metres (100 feet) tall, with a trunk measuring up to 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) in diameter. In subalpine forests, N. menziesii typically grows to a height of 12 m (39 ft) with a diameter of 80 cm (31 in). The trunks are generally straight or slightly curved, with narrow crowns. However, when it grows in open areas, individuals tend to develop extensive branching closer to the ground, resulting in broad, spreading crowns. Its bark is smooth and is a silvery-greyish colour on young trees, with horizontal lenticels, gradually becoming more furrowed on trees as it matures. N. menziesii has an estimated lifespan of 600 years. Its leaves are thick and rigid, green in colour, coriaceous (leather-like) in character, measuring 6–15 mm long × 5–15 mm wide, with petioles that are 2–3 mm long. Its lamina (leaf blades) are glabrous (smooth) except for the veins on the underside, broadly triangular to nearly circular in shape, with double-toothed edges and a wedge-shaped base. Juvenile leaves of N. menziesii are sometimes red in colour. Its cupules are 6–7 mm long, divided into 4 segments, and adorned with 4–5 rows of gland-tipped projections, accompanied by 2 leaf-like bracts. N. …

N. menziesii is endemic to New Zealand. Its range is widespread, although it is not continuous, throughout the North and South Islands. In the North Island, N. menziesii is abundant in montane and subalpine forests across several mountain ranges, and it is only found southwards of the thirty-seventh latitude. N. menziesii is naturally not present on Mount Taranaki and in the Taranaki Region altogether. N. menziesii also occurs in smaller forest groups on the Ahimanawa Range, Kaimanawa Range, Kaweka Range, Mamaku Plateau, Mount Te Aroha, and the southwestern slopes of Mount Ruapehu. In the South Island, N. menziesii is abundant northwest from the Marlborough Sounds to the Taramakau River and west of a line through the valleys of Lakes Hāwea, Ōhau, Wakatipu, and Wānaka, to the Longwood Range and Takitimu Mountains. In the Westland Region, isolated stands of N. menziesii exist near Otira and in the upper catchments of rivers such as the Karangarua and Mahitahi, as well as other locations such as near the Poulter River and the Blue Mountains. …

Kākā (Nestor meridionalis) occasionally visit N. menziesii specimens, deeply scarring the branches and trunk of the tree while searching for the larvae of the pūriri moth (Aenetus virescens). Peter Wardle's revision of the species mentioned this is practised by kākā in the North Island. Between the years 1851–1926, deer were introduced to New Zealand, deer frequently browse the seedlings and young plants of N. menziesii, which is also the most commonly found food in the stomachs of both red deer (Cervus elaphus) specifically and wapiti (Cervus canadensis), although never in large quantities. Across New Zealand, deer consume the foliage of the tree, often leading to the death of seedlings within forests. Despite this, seedlings growing in open areas tend to survive more robustly; they are better equipped to endure browsing, but frequently become densely hedged due to grazing pressure. A study conducted in 1958, based on direct observations and analysis of stomach contents, found no evidence suggesting that common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) consume parts of N. menziesii trees. Despite this, Wardle's 1967 revision of the species recorded moderate browsing of its buds and leaves. Common brushtail possums have typically not been considered a threat to Nothofagus forests since they rarely feed on the species. N. …

The timber of mature Nothofagus is valued in New Zealand for its use in the making of cabinets and other applications. Despite the timber being considered a versatile general-purpose material, it is typically not durable outdoors. However, its timber is used for flooring, furniture, and panelling. N. menziesii timber has also been used for pulpwood. N. menziesii was first cultivated in the United Kingdom in 1912, with cultivation first starting on the Isles of Scilly at Tresco Abbey. N. menziesii is well-adapted to grow in various climates of the United Kingdom, thriving in both colder weather in Scotland and the warmer and drier conditions in Southern England. At Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, N. menziesii grows steadily, although "not with the same vigour" as other Nothofagus species.

In Māori culture. New Zealand's Nothofagus species are of great importance to Māori, who consider all species to be taonga (treasures). Nothofagus forests were also important food sources, as mast seeding of Nothofagus species caused kiore (Rattus exulans) populations to feed on the seeds of tree, therefore enabling Māori group harvestings in the forests. Nothofagus timber was crafted into fishing hooks, while the bark of N. menziesii and other bark from Nothofagus species was used in dyeing fibres for weaving purposes of harakeke (Phormium tenax) and tī kōuka (Cordyline australis). …

The etymology (word origin) of the species' genus, Nothofagus, is a Latin term for the European beech tree and may originate from the Greek words notho, meaning 'false', and phago, meaning 'to eat', a prefix commonly used in scientific naming conventions. Joseph Dalton Hooker, who first formally described N. menziessii, named the species in honour of the Scottish naturalist, Archibald Menzies, by applying his surname to the specific epithet (second part of the scientific name). N. menziesii is commonly known as the 'silver beech' in English. In the Māori language, the species is known as tawhai rauriki.