| Hoheria populnea | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Hoheria |
| Species: | H. populnea |
| Binomial name | |
| Hoheria populnea | |
Hoheria populnea, commonly known as houhere,lacebark, or New Zealand mallow, [1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, endemic to New Zealand.
H. populnea is found from the coast to lowland forests, and has a natural distribution from the North Cape of the North Island, to the Bay of Plenty. [2] It can grow into a tree 12 metres tall and has broad, oval leaves, with serrated margins. [3] The leaves are dark green, 5–12 cm long and 6 cm wide. [4] Houhere produces white flowers in clusters from January to March. [5]
The bark of the plant was used in Māori traditional textiles to create ropes, hats, kete, and headbands. [6] Oral histories tell of early experiments to create felted material from the plant, similar to aute (the paper mulberry used in Polynesian textiles), however attempts were unsuccessful. [6]
