Where found:

• Throughout Taranaki, away from coastal winds.
  
• Tolerates most soils, particularly alluvial soils.
  
• Wet valleys and river margins for bank protection and stabilisation.
  
• Planted mainly on the upper river margin away from average flood flows.
  
• Below erosion hot spots.
  

• Shrub or small tree, often with multi-leaders. Variable habit from spreading to erect. Often has slender graceful branches. Deciduous.
• Leaves are 2.5 to 11 centimetres long, 0.5 to 2 centimetres wide. Often opposite towards the tips of the shoot. Dark glossy green on the upper surface, blue/green on the lower surface.
  
• Bitter taste.
  
• Flowers are usually female, narrow cylinder, often curved. Male catkins 1.5 to 3.0 centimetres long, female catkins 2 to 4 centimetres long, appear before the leaves.
  
• Grey, smooth bark. Very bitter.
  
• Withstands flooding. Very resistant to possums.
  
• Used for river control - bank stabilisation.