Cabbage Tree

Description:

Endemic plant to New Zealand. The Cabbage Tree grows from 12m to 20m high. A young tree starts with a singe stem but bifurcates after each flowering. A cluster of long sword like leaves grow at the end of each branch forming a crown. The bark is grey/brown and cork like. The tree puts out a flower spike which produce a profusion of scented white flowers. These then form small green berries that mature into larger blue speckled white berries that are an excellent food source for native pigeons.

Habitat:

Found throughout the two main islands of New Zealand from lowland wet forest margins up to 1000 m although becomes less common further south and is absent from Fiordland.

Notes:

Am amazing plant. Is very fire resistant and early settlers would make chimneys from their trunks. An excellent source of food for both endemic and native species as well as humans. Very good forest regeneration species. Images show close up of the flowers, a young flowering tree and newly formed berries.