Whanganui people have a rare chance to see the New Zealand mainland's rarest native tree in full flower at Virginia Lake.
The Bartlett's rata tree is about 100m from the lake's twin bridges. It's in full bloom, Whanganui ecologist Colin Ogle said.
"It's by far the largest flowering we've ever seen on it. It's totally covered."
He wanted to let people know, so they could go and see.
"If they go in the next week or two they might catch it flowering. It's something they will almost certainly never see in the wild."