Tī kōuka (Cordyline Australis) can grow to be 20m tall with a skinny trunk and sword like leaves.
They are so resilient, that they are often the last indigenous plant to persist within cleared land.
Did you know: We were a significant food source for early Māori and provided a fibre resource prized for its strength. A good stand of our trees is known as a para–kauru, with kauru being the name given to the food processed from the cabbage tree. We are also used for Rongoa (Medicine).
My super power is: My fibre doesn’t shrink in water and is super strong. My fibre is used for making rope, kete baskets, clothing.
I help the eco system by using my strong root system to helps stop soil erosion and tolerate wet soil.
I am a Taonga species central to the identity and well being of many Māori and are a important as food, fibre and medicine.