12 – 20m. – flowers mainly October / November – a distinctive plant with tall straight trunk with a dense rounded head of long straight flax like leaves.  The clusters of flowers have a strong scent and carry nectar which attracts insects in large numbers.

The fruit is ripe in late summer.

A very important source of food for many birds but especially the saddlebacks who collect insects from the leaves as well.

The Cabbage Tree was used by the Maori people and early settlers.  The pith and inner roots were used to make a kind of porridge.  The early Europeans used hollowed out trunks as chimneys as they do not burn.

These have been planted in large numbers.

Long term canopy tree.

Photography by Jan Velvin © (top, left and right) and Peter Craw © (bottom)