The fruit, bark and leaves of the kawakawa all have medicinal properties. Host people of a marae wave leaves of kawakawa to welcome guests especially at a tangi. Maori wear wreaths of kawakawa on the head as a sign of mourning. Was used for treating the inside of dwellings and kumara patches. ![]() Good with lemongrass and ginger added or sweeten if you wish, try it iced in the summer.ĭried and burnt leaves are used as an insect repellent. Leave to infuse for a minute or two, then drink. Pick 2 or 3 leaves and place in a cup of boiled water. You can purchase ready made kawakawa tea or make your own. excelsum Kawakawa is used in the production of sweet Ti-toki liqueur. Dip the orange fruits in chocolate for a sweet treat. To extract the core from the fruit, pinch them at the top of the berry and pull upwards, they slide up out of the berry quite easily. The orange fruits from the female trees are sweet and the seeds are peppery. Kawakawa leaves can be used to flavour sweet and savoury dishes. The seeds will go through a period of after ripening and may begin to germinate 2 or 3 months after sowing. The orange mash can easily be separated from the heavier black seeds by floating. The seed is a favoured food of many birds in late summer and are dispersed by them. It can be used under established planting that has started to open out below the canopy. It will tolerate an open windy situation but is frost tender. Kawakawa prefers a moist rich & free-draining soil in a semi-shade to shade position. The most striking of the 3 species, the leaves are very lush and glossy dark green. Macropiper melchior from the Three Kings Island. Macropiper excelsum psittacorum from the Kermadec Islands is similar to the mainland form but with longer flower spikes and larger thicker leaves that are glossy and deep green. There are two other offshore island species of macropiper: Habitatįound in coastal and lowland forests throughout the North Island and the northern half of the South Island. The name “Kawakawa” refers to the bitter taste of the leaves. In summer the female spikes ripen to a deep orange. ![]() The tiny flowers are in upright catkinlike spikes and occur on separate male & female plants. The leaves are often covered with insect holes mainly caused by the kawakawa looper moth caterpillar (Cleora scriptaria). The aromatic fleshy heart-shaped leaves have prominent veining and are a dark green to almost yellow green colour. The branchlets are jointed and swollen where the leaves are attached. excelsum Download info sheet FamilyĪ small densely branched shrub or small tree, growing to six metres tall.
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