# Akeake (*dodonaea viscosa*)

Akeake (Dodonaea viscosa), also known as the hop bush, is a hardy and versatile evergreen shrub or small tree native to New Zealand, Australia, and other tropical and subtropical regions. Renowned for its extreme resilience, its Maori name 'Akeake' translates to 'forever and ever,' hinting at its tough nature and ability to survive in harsh coastal environments, dry soils, and strong winds. It plays an important role in ecological restoration, quickly colonizing disturbed ground and providing shelter for other native plants to establish. In traditional Maori culture, its incredibly dense, heavy wood was prized for crafting durable weapons, digging sticks, and walking canes.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Typically found in coastal dunes, lowland forests, open scrublands, and rocky cliffsides where it tolerates salty winds and poor soils.

![Akeake](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/444824118/medium.jpg)

Photo: Connor Margetts, CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/444824118)

## Appearance

Akeake typically grows as a multi-branched shrub or small tree reaching heights of 2 to 9 meters. It features simple, light green to bronze-green, narrow leaves that are alternate and secrete a sticky, resinous substance, giving them a slightly shiny appearance. In spring and summer, it produces small, inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers that lack petals, which develop into highly distinctive, papery, two-to-four-winged seed capsules. These seed pods mature from a pale green or creamy yellow to a dry light brown, resembling hops, and are easily dispersed by the wind.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Sapindales
- **Family:** Sapindaceae
- **Genus:** Dodonaea

## Interesting facts

- Akeake wood is one of the densest and heaviest of any New Zealand native tree, so heavy that it sinks in water when green.
- Early European settlers in Australia and New Zealand used the winged seed pods of this plant as a substitute for hops in beer brewing, giving it the common name 'hop bush'.
- The Maori name 'Akeake' means 'forever and ever,' referencing the incredible strength and durability of the wood.

## Special abilities

- **Resinous Leaf Coating:** Secretes a sticky, resinous film over its leaves that minimizes water loss and protects the plant from salt spray and intense UV radiation.
- **Winged Seed Dispersal:** Produces light, papery, winged seed capsules that act as sails, allowing the wind to transport seeds over long distances to colonize new areas.
- **Wind and Salt Tolerance:** Possesses flexible branches and tough, leather-like foliage that withstand strong gales and highly saline coastal environments where other trees fail.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 200-900 cm
- **Lifespan:** 15-60 years

## Diet & Feeding

As a photosynthetic plant, Akeake generates its own organic nutrients from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water while absorbing essential minerals through its root system.

- **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon dioxide, Water, Soil minerals

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Puriri Moth (*Aenetus virescens*) — The caterpillars of this moth feed on the wood of the Akeake, boring tunnels into the stems.
- **Mutualism:** New Zealand Bellbird (*Anthornis melanura*) — Feeds on the nectar of Akeake flowers and helps in pollination.
- **Mutualism:** Puriri (*Vitex lucens*) — Akeake provides shelter and canopy cover, aiding the germination and growth of slower-growing canopy trees like the Puriri.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Akeake?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Akeake?

200-900 cm

### How long does Akeake live?

15-60 years

### What does Akeake eat?

As a photosynthetic plant, Akeake generates its own organic nutrients from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water while absorbing essential minerals through its root system.

### Where is Akeake usually found?

Typically found in coastal dunes, lowland forests, open scrublands, and rocky cliffsides where it tolerates salty winds and poor soils.

## Where to spot

- [National Tropical Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/national-tropical-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Crater Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crater-historic-district) — Hawaii, US · Historic District

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

---

Source: [Akeake: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/akeake)