“There has been speculation about the age of the privet for a long time with some suggesting that it may date back to early settler times,” Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Northland manager Bill Edwards said.
“Recently we undertook some routine maintenance on the privet by cutting off a large branch that was growing from the main trunk. We cut a disc from the offshoot, sanded it and counted the tree rings to try to find out its age. It total, the branch appeared to be 70 years old.”
The main trunk of the tree, however, is significantly broader in girth, suggesting that it could well be older, he said.
“Estimating its size – compared with the offshoot branch – suggests that the tree might date back to the late 19th century or early 20th century. That means that the privet could be an example of a ‘heritage weed’.”
Mike Thompson of South Kerikeri Inlet Care disagrees with the possibility of the tree being that old though.
“According to available records, tree privets were first introduced into New Zealand in the 1950s as hedge plants,” Thompson said.
“It is likely that the privet trees in question were planted by the Edmonds family descendants who still lived at the ruins site into the 1950s. There are no records of tree privets being planted in New Zealand before the 1950s so the ruins’ trees are unlikely to be more than 70 years old.
”Whatever the age of the tree, privets are not widely loved – particularly by allergy sufferers whose conditions are aggravated by privet pollen. They’re also an environmental disaster.“
Privet trees produce multiple flowers, large quantities of air-borne pollen and viable seeds, which are spread by birds, thereby forming dense stands which out-compete native tree species and prevent the re-establishment of native bush.
This was the situation in the bush areas surrounding the ruins before Heritage New Zealand, assisted by South Kerikeri Inlet Care volunteers, began clearing the privet forest and planting native trees in 2014, Thompson said.
“Ten years since clearing the privets – and thanks to planting a large number of New Zealand natives, regular weeding of invasive weed species, pest control, and natural regeneration – the ruins access road has become a fine example of healthy regenerating native bush. This is still maintained by [the] volunteers who weed on a weekly basis.”
Although intrigued by the potential for the Edmonds Ruins privet to be older than thought – and perhaps one of the first privet planted in New Zealand – Edwards acknowledges that the tree’s days are likely to be numbered.
The tree branches are dying and potentially becoming a hazard to the public. There is also the irritation factor for allergy sufferers and the potential for environmental damage.
“We will photograph it and record it in detail so that we retain information about its place within the wider landscape,” Edwards said.
He said the work done by the volunteer group and others over the years is a great example of the community working together to invest in the wellbeing of their environment.
“Anyone who visits Edmonds Ruins can’t help but be impressed by the very pleasant environment that Mike and his team of volunteers have helped to create,” he said.
“We want to support this fantastic work – and ensure that visitors can enjoy this site safely.”
