Koromiko is a hardy coastal shrub or small tree found in Tiritiri Matangi’s open scrub and forest margins. It has dull green to yellow-green lance-shaped leaves and produces sweetly scented flower spikes, lilac, mauve, or white that bloom in summer and autumn. A member of the Hebe genus, New Zealand’s largest group of flowering plants, koromiko is naturally restricted to the North Island. Traditionally, Māori and early settlers used koromiko for its medicinal properties, especially to treat digestive issues. During WWII, dried koromiko leaves were even sent to New Zealand soldiers overseas as a remedy for dysentery.

Kawakawa is a small, aromatic tree growing up to 6 metres tall, with large, fleshy, heart-shaped leaves that often have holes caused by leaf-eating insects. It grows in the forest understory and is well adapted to low light, but can also tolerate some sunlight, its leaves may become thicker and more leathery in sunnier spots to prevent water loss. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees, with the female’s orange fruit forming on a central spike, resembling a candle. Māori used kawakawa for many medicinal purposes, including pain relief, bladder issues, and insect repellent. Today, dried leaves are used to make herbal tea. Kawakawa belongs to the pepper family (Piperaceae), within the Macropiper genus found across Polynesia, New Guinea, and New Zealand.

Hangehange is a bushy shrub with bright, shiny light green leaves, commonly found in lowland and coastal forests. In spring, its stems are covered in tiny greenish-white, curry-scented flowers, followed by fruit in February. Although its leaves resemble those of privet, they are unrelated. Māori used hangehange leaves to wrap food for flavour when steaming in earth ovens. Fast-growing and reaching up to 4 metres, it’s an effective shade producer.

Karamū is a common shrub or small tree found throughout New Zealand. It flowers from September to November, followed by dense clusters of bright red to orange berries that ripen in March and are eagerly eaten by birds. Traditionally, Māori children enjoyed the ripe coprosma berries, which were described as sweet and juicy with a slightly bitter aftertaste. In the late 19th century, European settlers, noting that Coprosma is related to the coffee plant, experimented with roasting and grinding the seeds of karamu and taupata. According to notes from a Wellington Philosophical Society meeting, the roasted seeds produced a “splendid coffee aroma” and a brew that was “thoroughly satisfactory.” Both Coprosma and Coffea belong to the Rubiaceae or madder family.

This small-leaved, divaricating shrub has dark green, thick leaves that are paler underneath, linear in shape (10–14 mm long), and arranged oppositely or in clusters along its tangled branches. It is dioecious, meaning individual plants produce either male or female flowers, which appear from February to March and are wind-pollinated. From August to September, translucent blue berries ripen along the stems, providing an important food source for birds, insects, and lizards.