One of Taranaki’s most beloved living landmarks is competing for national honours in the 2026 New Zealand Tree of the Year competition.
The Ancient Pūriri of Brooklands Park in New Plymouth has been selected as one of six finalists from across New Zealand, recognising its immense size, great age, and enduring popularity with visitors.
Voting is now underway in the annual competition, which celebrates the remarkable trees that help shape New Zealand’s landscapes, communities and history.
Nestled within Brooklands Park, the giant pūriri has long been a destination in its own right. For generations, visitors have gathered beneath its sprawling canopy, admired its massive trunk, and marvelled at a tree that appears to have been watching over Taranaki for centuries.
Tree of the Year Chair Brad Cadwallader says the Ancient Pūriri is one of those rare trees that leaves a lasting impression on everyone who encounters it.
“Some trees are admired from a distance. This is a tree people experience. You can stand beneath it and immediately appreciate its scale, age and character.”
The tree’s exact age remains unknown, but its immense proportions and obvious signs of antiquity have inspired generations of visitors to speculate about just how long it has stood in Brooklands Park.
Among its most intriguing features are the large natural hollows that have formed over time.
“Those hollows are almost like windows into the tree’s past,” said Cadwallader. “They tell the story of a long life and remind us that some of our most remarkable trees have witnessed centuries of change.”
Despite the natural scars that accompany great age, the Ancient Pūriri remains one of New Zealand’s most impressive native trees and one of Brooklands Park’s most cherished attractions.
This year’s competition has already produced an unexpected twist after one of the finalists, the Mighty Old Mataī near Dunedin, was discovered to have fallen over just days after voting opened. Despite the setback, organisers have confirmed the veteran tree remains in contention.
Cadwallader says the Ancient Pūriri is a worthy representative for both New Plymouth and Taranaki.
“It is a tree that has become part of people’s lives. Families visit it, children play around it, and generations of locals have grown up knowing it. That connection is exactly what Tree of the Year is designed to celebrate.”
The six finalists were selected from nominations received from across New Zealand and represent some of the country’s most significant and beloved trees.
Voting is open now at www.treeoftheyear.co.nz.
Media Release 22 June 2026.