Entelea arborescens or whau is endemic to the Three Kings, North (including Little and Great Barrier Islands) and South Islands. In the North Island, whau is locally common from Te Paki to about Kawhia and Mahia Peninsula south of there it is known from a few sites in the eastern Wairarapa, at Paekakariki and Wellington. In the South Island it is confined to the Golden Bay area of North-West Nelson. Whau naturalises easily and has established south of these stations from bach and urban plantings. It grows in coastal to lowland forest or shrubland. Usually in open sites such as around recent slips, tree falls, cliff faces, boulder slopes, sand dunes or on the margins of streams, rivers, lagoons and lakes. Mostly near the coast however it may occur well inland in some places e.g., the Waikato River near Hamilton, Rotorua. Some inland and southern North island occurrences are thought to be derived from deliberate plantings by Maori. It is a shrub or small spreading tree up to 8 m tall with a trunk up to 25cm in diameter, with upright branches with very light weighted wood and firm grey bark. It has rather large soft green leaves, and produces an abundance of white flowers from October to February that are followed by spiky seed capsules. Whau is however, rather short-lived (up to 15 years) although once established if often self sows. Its wood is remarkably light, which when dry does not exceed half the weight of a piece of cork the same size. Maori used it to make floats for fishing nets, and the framework for small rafts. It is not threatened but however, recent field work gathering samples for a study into the possible past use of whau by Maori indicates that whau is much less common in the North Island than it once was. Browsing pressure from cattle, goats and horses, clearance of coastal scrub of housing and the spread of invasive woody shrubs and trees into many northern coastal areas may be threatening some populations.