Native seed catalogue

Dacrydium cupressinum Red pine | Rimu

This guide is based on a literature review. It compiles information from various sources. Different sources may offer varying advice and findings.

Other known names

Puaka.

Propagation summary

Poor seed viability and germination rates. Uncertainty around long-term storage. Can be grown from cuttings.

Seed propagation category

Hard.

Geographical distribution

Found widespread throughout New Zealand within lowland forests and montane forests (forests on the slopes of mountains).^(1), ⁽²⁾

Reproductive system

Dioecious – can only collect seeds from female plants.⁽³⁾

Seed collection

Seeds ripen from late autumn until mid-winter.⁽⁴⁾ Irregular seed years happen once or twice every 10 years.⁽¹⁾ Seeds turn black or brown in colour when mature.⁽³⁾ Most of the seeds fall within 5 m of parent tree.⁽⁵⁾ Seeds can be dispersed by birds.⁽⁶⁾

Seed storage

Intermediate.⁽⁷⁾ Seed viability is lost after 12 months when stored at room temperature.⁽¹⁾ Seeds store reasonably well.⁽⁴⁾

Seed dormancy

First germination takes at least 30 days⁽⁶⁾, and the process can take up to 8 weeks.⁽³⁾

Pre-sowing treatments

Seeds can be treated with cool-moist stratification for 3 months⁽⁴⁾ (stratification is the process of chilling seeds to promote germination). Another study showed that stratification for 8 weeks at 4°C does not improve germination.⁽¹⁾

Seed viability

Germination capacity is low.⁽¹⁾

Germination

Irregular germination. Germination can take over 4 weeks⁽³⁾ – and the germination rates can drop to 0% at 8 weeks after sowing.⁽⁸⁾

Propagation techniques

Sown in seed trays, then pricked out.⁽³⁾ Can be propagated from cuttings with higher success when collected in March. Can take 2–8 months to form roots from cuttings.^(3), ⁽⁹⁾

Nursery practices

Satisfactory seedling survival. Needs full light in the South Island and overhead shade in the North Island.⁽¹⁾ Care should be taken to not damage the sensitive tap root when pricking out.⁽¹⁰⁾

Research opportunities

Germination, seed storage, and vegetative propagation need further investigation.

Information about the native seed profiles

All species names are in the following order: scientific name, common name, and Māori name. Names may vary by region. We have tried to use the most common names across New Zealand.

We have sourced photos from different websites and creators. We have used the images under different licences. These include Public Domain and Creative Commons licenses. For Dacrydium cupressinum, the image details are:

Photo by (c) Pete McGregor – some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
Original image

The basis for each seed profile is a literature review carried out by Scion. Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service commissioned and worked on the review to produce a native seed catalogue. The full seed catalogue is on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website.

Native afforestation research programme: Seed propagation catalogue

References

Entrican, A R; Hinds, H V; Reid, J S (1957) Forest trees and timbers of New Zealand. New Zealand Forest Service Bulletin No. 12. R. E. Owen, Government Printer; Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Dacrydium cupressinum. Accessed 17 October 2024.

Harris, A; Dibley, M; Steward, G; Faulds, C; Harington P S (2017) Handbook: Propagation of four New Zealand podocarps. Scion; Rotorua, New Zealand (confidential).

Metcalf, L J (1995) The propagation of New Zealand native plants. Godwit; Auckland, New Zealand.

Canham, C D; Ruscoe, W A; Wright, E F; Wilson, D J (2014) Spatial and temporal variation in tree seed production and dispersal in a New Zealand temperate rainforest. Ecosphere 5(4), 49.

Norton, D A; Herbert, J W; Beveridge, A E (1988) The ecology of Dacrydium cupressinum: A review. New Zealand Journal of Botany 26(1), 37–62.

Wyse, S V; Carlin, T F; Etherington, T R; Faruk, A; Dickie, J B; Bellingham, P J (2024) Can seed banking assist in conserving the highly endemic New Zealand indigenous flora? Pacific Conservation Biology 30, PC23029.

Ford, C; Lloyd, A (2023) Germination of native species seed after cold treatment, surface sterilisation and soaking in 1% hydrogen peroxide. MPI Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service Technical Paper No 2023/01

Dakin, A J (1974) Vegetative propagation of rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) with cuttings from nursery plants. New Zealand Journal of Forestry 19(2), 276–285.

10.

Olsen, M; Millner, J; Ries, T; Douglas, B (2024) Native afforestation: Review of germination. MPI Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service Technical Paper No: 2024/03.

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