Order your Truffle inoculated trees now!
Litherland's Truffles is pleased to offer for sale several options of Truffle inoculated trees from our nursery in Hawke's Bay
Our trees have all been inoculated with the 'Perigord' Black Truffle spores - a highly prized commercial value here and overseas, currently commanding prices of $2,500 - $3,500 per kg retail here in New Zealand! In order to ensure our trees produce the most sought-after truffles, we carry out DNA testing on our spores to confirm that we are always using the correct species, and avoid any other truffle species contaminants of a lower value.
Due to their high demand both locally and overseas, there are now several co-ops set up in New Zealand, to source the truffles for restaurants around the world.
Trees with the Perigord Black Truffle (tuber melanosporum) grow best in high alkaline soil, so here in New Zealand with generally acidic soils, lime can be added to raise the pH to the optimum level of 7.5 for these particular trees. Other truffle producing trees require a slightly higher pH of 7.9 at the optimum level, however there has been cases where truffles are produced using Cork Oak on low pH soil, making it the best option for truffle production in New Zealand!
Purchase and Pre-order online
Final pricing including freight will be emailed to you, along with our bank account number for online payment. Prices listed are exclusive of GST. Numbers subject to available quantity, minimum order 5 trees).
Large orders for inoculated Cork Oak & Holm Trees can be pre-ordered for 2026 release date, and orders must be placed prior to April 2025.
30% non-refundable deposit required to secure Pre-sale orders
Truffle spore inoculation process
To achieve successful inoculation, our trees undergo a precise introduction of the 'Perigord' Black Truffle spores. Once DNA is checked to ensure purity, the spores are then combined with one of several different types of beneficial bacteria into the tree roots of the young trees in our nursery, and monitored closely.
Quercus suber
Description:
Common name is Cork Oak, it is a medium sized evergreen Oak tree. It’s shape when mature resembles a giant Broccoli if left to grow naturally. A very hardy, useful, multi-purpose tree.
It can tolerate: heat, full sun, droughts, semi-shade.
Prefers: free draining soil, however can grow in some clay, prefers protection when young, once established can handle the windier areas.
- Emission Trading Scheme Compatible (while still being able to graze the land on farm)!
- Erosion Control Scheme Compatible (working with local councils)!
Sheep, Cattle and Deer Guards
Ensure your Cork Oak saplings and Truffle futures are well protected from livestock with purpose built guards. Sheep Guards are available to order using the form below. We recommend the Cattle and Deer Guards from Tree Guards to compliment the Sheep Guards that we have in stock.
Cork Tree Uses: The Cork Tree is a real star, and some of its multiple uses you may be familiar with; the bark is used for flooring, insulation (including sound insulation), wine bottle stoppers, Cricket balls and Badminton shuttlecocks, fishing rods and surfboards. It has also been used in Aero-space crafts, and in the fashion industry for clothing and shoes.
This amazing tree is adaptable to temperature fluctuations between -9DegC to +40DegC, and the trunk of the tree itself is drought tolerant and fire-resistant due to its layer of moist suberin between the bark layer and its heartwood. They have good root structure for holding erosion prone land together once established.
Cork trees are harvested for their bark, the first harvest is usually about 25 years after planting, then additionally every 10 years for up to 200 years+, some trees have been known to live up to 400+ years! It has the ability to lock up additional carbon after each Cork harvest! These trees serve as a legacy for future generations.
While the Truffle can be harvested on average from year seven, during its lifetime the Truffle is also beneficial to the tree, providing the tree with sugars. The acorn from these trees is unlike traditional Oaks, being low in tannin and sweet, which has the added benefit of producing additional stock fodder for farm animals in times of drought. Like the Holm Oak (Quercus ilex), Cork trees are also used for fattening pigs for Iberico Ham production in Spain, which commands a high value due to the quality of the ham. The Cork tree produces a clear, sweet, dark honey. Trees are also used for Carbon Offset projects under the ETS scheme, and although they are not native to New Zealand, they are great for attracting Native bird life to the canopy during acorn masting.
The Cork Oak is used a lot in both Spain and Portugal, where there is an established Cork Oak industry, and due to cork's sustainability, there is a trend of wine producers reverting back to Cork in their wine bottling process. Given the well-known benefits of the Cork Oak, and its multiplicity of uses, we are pleased to be a provider of this exceptional tree. We are proud to be a part of New Zealand's early stages in setting up an industry to meet demand both for sustainable renewable products locally and overseas.
Trees currently in-stock
If you'd like to know where to buy truffle trees in New Zealand - talk to us or place an order using the form below.
CURRENT STOCK AVAILABILITY Last updated 4th June 2025
All Trees have been inoculated with Perigord Black Truffle current market price now is $3500-$4000 kg retail value
(2 Year Southern Beech 60cm , 3yr in background on left 1-1.2m) 2 yr right 40-70cm
Southern Beech
29 x 3 yr Old Southern Beech 100 - 120cm
$195
60 x 2 yr Old Southern Beech 40-70cm
$120
2 x 4 yr old Q faginea 130cm
$395
3 x 3 yr old Quercus ilex (Holm Oak) 80-120cm
$195
