Looking ahead to New Zealand's first Matariki festival, I feel inspired to take a look at growing kawakawa, I feel inspired to take a look at growing kawakawa - a truly beautiful New Zealand native, recognisable by its heart-shaped leaves. The leaves, seeds, bark, roots and fruit of the kawakawa are all edible, making it a spectacular plant to grow in our gardens.
Kawakawa often displays holes in its leaves, and while you may assume these should be discarded, the holey leaves are in fact the best of all. The holes are caused by looper moths and it is said that as the caterpillar chomps through, it releases more active compounds in the leaves, making these leaves more favourable in healing.
Kawakawa can grow up to six metres high but, for those of us with an average-sized back yard, it can also be kept at a manageable height. Kawakawa is easy to grow, and likes free-draining soil in a nice shady spot. It is fairly wind-tolerant and, when the tree is mature, it can tolerate light to medium frosts. Kawakawa is mainly found in the warmer North Island regions, as it does not cope well with a hearty frost.
Kawakawa can be grown in pots and even indoors, but will need annual re-potting to replace the nutrients. It likes to dry out between waterings and, once established, will hardly need any care - and about 1-2 cups of water per week in long, hot summers.
