This series of photographs shows the simple process of making kawakawa tea. First, pick fresh leaves of the kawakawa tree, a common native shrub. Leaves with holes eaten by insects are especially suitable because they have the most concentrated medicinal properties. Boil the leaves in water ...
Kūmarahou is still used as a herbal treatment today. One medicine was made by boiling the leaves in water for drinking, which was said to ease rheumatism and asthma.
A compact selection with small silvery-green leaves on thin black stems. Well suited to shearing to create a formal hedge. Unsheared, the airy habit allows sunlight to accentuate the silver sheen and the breeze to cause the leaves to shimmer. Evergreen.
Rimu foliage and seeds (top) are a little different from those of kahikatea (bottom): rimu carries its seeds on upturned branchlets. Rimu and kahikatea are massive conifer trees, widely distributed throughout New Zealand. Both belong to the podocarp...
Māhoe (Melicytus ramiflorus), a member of the violet family, is a common tree of coastal and lowland forest, and regenerating shrublands. It is also known as whiteywood, a reference to its pale bark. The leaves are bright green and coarsely toothed. The lacy leaf skeletons are common on...
Tanekaha - Known as the celery herb Tanekaha was used medicinally as an astringent and antimicrobial agent by Maori people and early European settlers. The anti-microbial action of tannic acid has been well documented, and it has been shown to be effective against a range of bacteria, yeasts and viruses. A mild astringent with curative properties
