Makomako, Wineberry, Aristotelia serrata, is one of the more common small trees here. Its quick to cover open ground and seedlings pop up in pots in my shade house all the time. Not a bad thing. A lot of them have then made it into the garden. It grows fast but doesn’t live very long in the garden. It will smother itself in flowers in the spring and follow up with small black berries in summer.
From T.E.R.R.A.I.N Taranaki Educational Resource; Research Analysis and Information Network
http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/table-1/wineberry-makomako.html
Maori children used to feast on the berries, which were also squeezed and strained to make a sweet drink.
European settlers made jam and jellies and also produced a very good wine from the berries. Infusions from the bark and leaves were used to treat a burn, boils, sore eyes and rheumatic pains.
I love wineberry with splashes off pink scattered through the bush in spring (like when driving through the Catlins – there’s quite a few to admire that are along the roadside scattered in with the rest of the trees).
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