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Rata is often confused with Pohutukawa. Both tree species belong in the myrtle family of trees. Other members of this family include Manuka, Kanuka, and Maire. There are two main types of rata, the northern and southern.
Southern Rātā grows up to 15 m or more, with a trunk up to 1 m or more in diameter. It produces masses of red flowers in summer. Unlike its relative, Northern Rātā, this species rarely grows as an epiphyte.
Northern Rātā grows up to 25 m or taller, and usually begins its life as a hemi-epiphyte high in the branches of a mature forest tree such as the Rimu. Over centuries the young tree sends descending and girdling roots down and around the trunk of its host, eventually forming a massive, frequently hollow pseudotrunk composed of fused roots. In disturbed ground, or where there are gaps in the forest cover, Northern Rātā will grow on the ground with a normal but short trunk.
Both trees favour high rainfall conditions like the West Coast or Wellington regions. Native birds such as the Tui, Bellbird, and Kaka benefit from the presence of Rata in the forest.
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