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World Tree of the Year 2024



The northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta), nicknamed ‘the walking tree’, has been voted Tree of the Year 2024. It is located in New Zealand, near Karamea.


This unique tree, reminiscent of the ‘Ent’, the living trees in the cult literary and film franchise ‘The Lord of the Rings’, is the last survivor of an ancient forest. It is the last remnant of a forest felled 150 years ago.


The rātā trees of the north are ‘epiphytic’ organisms, meaning that they start life on another tree, in the canopy, before developing aerial roots. Its roots, which eventually reached the ground, survived the disappearance of its host, giving the tree this unique ‘walking’ appearance.


Faced with threats such as possums and myrtle rust, the northern rātā is classified as vulnerable, highlighting the importance of its conservation.

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