Mānuka is a highly valuable plant for its use in rongoā māori, and historically it has had many applications. Some of these applications include: A soothing and healing tea made from the leaves. Mānuka honey derived fr...

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the natural biodiversity of Aotea. Though Tiritiri Matangi and Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) are more famous for their conservation, there is an enormous clean-up effort on Aotea (Great Barrie...

A New Zealand native plant that is often overlooked is the mighty kūmarahou. Alongside its healing properties, kūmarahou flowers contain saponins — natural surfactants that create a gentle foaming lather. This allows...

Mānuka honey has a long history of use in skin treatment and repair. The antibacterial nature of the honey – which it is renowned for (and why it is so sought after!) – means it is incredibly cleaning and restorative and makes it an essential i...

Kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum) is a herbaceous shrub native to New Zealand. It has knobbly joints, branching stems, and distinctive large, heart-shaped dark green leaves that are sometimes slightly glossy. There are also offshore island species...

For thousands of years plants were the primary source of medicine, with widespread knowledge of the healing properties of specific plants recorded in ancient civilisations. Until the mid 1800’s the medicinal properties of plants were the main hea...