Northern Rata start off as vines growing up other trees, and eventually kill their host to become free standing trees. They can grow to 25 meters. Southern Rata top off at 15 meters and do not hazve a vine like stage.
They produce large amounts of nectar, and are a favorite of many native bird species, such as the Tui (Medium sized black-green birds with white under the chin) and the Bellbird (Smaller, forest green plumage).
They are also a favorite source of food for Kaka. Kaka are larger parrots that have red coloring under their wings, and are
Rata flower every two to three years in abundance between November and January. These flowerings are called 'Mast Seasons', and are known for the production of excess fruits and flowers. With the extra resources around, Kaka and other species dependent on Rata for food tend to breed more profusely.
As with most native species, Possums are a huge problem for Rata. This also causes issues for the birds that feed on Rata flowers and fruits. Rata hate having their leaves eaten, and one can often see dead Rata trees poking up above the canopy of forests with high possum numbers.
Photo Credit (in order) Airborne Honey (www.airborne.co.nz); John Foster (www.foster.co.nz); nzbirdsonline.org.nz; nzbirdsonline.org.nz; and TER: RAIN Taranaki Educational Resource (terrain.net.nz)
