Paper

There’s a small tree with big marbled leaves on our jungly bank, which I’ve learnt is the NZ native rangiora (Brachyglottis repanda).

The big papery leaves have a furry white underside, which is apparently pretty reasonable for writing a letter on, or a luxurious option for wiping your backside (they are nicknamed “bushman’s toilet paper”). They’re not so helpful at the start of the digestive journey, being fairly toxic if you happen to eat one. Honey made with rangiora nectar is also poisonous, so I’ll keep redirecting bees towards my pair of mānuka.

We have about half a dozen rangiora scattered on the bank, some up to 2m tall. The lower ones are now trimmed to keep them out of dog’s reach, so he can focus his efforts on digging up ferns and jumping on top of my new kōwhai.