When talking about Rongoā Māori or native healing plants, most people probably think of kawakawa first.

You may have seen its heart-shaped leaves growing beside a track.

You may have made kawakawa tea.

You may have seen kawakawa oil, balm or soap in a little shop at a weekend market.

Or perhaps you have heard someone say:

“Kawakawa is good for everything.”

And that is exactly where I want to start my Meeting the Rongoā Rākau series — with kawakawa.

Āe, kawakawa is a powerful healing plant, and it is one of the plants I respect deeply. But it is actually a plant I don't use very often.

Why?

Let me explain.

(Dry Kawakawa leaves, harvested from Garden of Tane, Akaroa 2024.)

First, Let's Meet the Plant 🌿

Kawakawa is one of Aotearoa New Zealand's best-known native plants. Some people call it the New Zealand pepper tree. It belongs to the pepper family, Piperaceae, and grows naturally in warmer, sheltered parts of Aotearoa.

When I was in Christchurch studying Rongoā, there were only a few kawakawa plants in the Botanic Gardens. Canterbury has cold winters and hot, dry summers, so we would travel to Akaroa and Banks Peninsula for harvesting.

Here in Nelson, it is a different story. Lucky Nelsonian- many people have kawakawa growing in their gardens, and you can find plenty along the tracks.

If you have ever walked past one, you probably recognised the leaves before you knew its name.

They are unmistakably heart-shaped.

And then there are the holes.

Lots of holes.

Some people see those holes and think:

Something has been eating this plant.

And yes — something has.

The kawakawa looper is part of the plant's living ecosystem.

Traditionally, it is said that these holey leaves are the best ones, and some Rongoā practitioners specifically harvest leaves with holes.

And you know what?

Researchers have found substantial differences in the chemical makeup of kawakawa leaves after they have been eaten by the looper. Interestingly, simply making holes in the leaves by hand doesn't create the same response.

It seems the plant responds specifically to being eaten.I love how this brings together traditional observation and scientific discovery.

The plant responds to the insect.

The insect depends on the plant.

And the whole ecosystem is connected.

Which makes me smile-a good relationship brings out the best in each other 

(kawakawa leaves I prepared for a client)

Kawakawa: The Healer 🌿

One of the pūrākau associated with kawakawa  is about Papatūānuku's broken heart after the seperation with rangi.

Io gifted kawakawa to Papatūānuku to help heal her broken heart. It is said to be the first plant gifted directly from IO.

For me, this is one of the reasons I meet kawakawa as The Healer.

Wairua-wise, I see kawakawa as a plant that invites us back to the beginning — to the zero zone, a place of potential, restoration and renewal.

In some iwi, kawakawa was used in tangi/funeral, while in some other iwi, kawakawa was placed under the bed of newly married couples as a blessing for the arrival of pepi.

And let's see what modern science has found out about kawakawa.

Research at the University of Auckland has identified more than 60 active chemical compounds in kawakawa. One of its notable compounds, pellitorine, creates a numbing sensation and may explain some of kawakawa’s traditional use for toothache and pain relief.

Ongoing clinical trails are also investigating kawakawa’s potential effects on metabolic inflammation and gut health, including whether concentrated leaf preparations might help address factors associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

 

🌿 But Why I Don't Use Kawakawa Very Often

In every profession, there are codes of conduct that guide how we practise. In Rongoā Māori, one of these is kaitiakitanga — our responsibility to care for, protect and preserve the natural world.

To be honest, whenever people hear about my passion for Rongoā and respond by saying, “do you know kawakawa", "I drink kawakawa tea,” or “I use kawakawa balm,” I feel a little defensive. Sometimes I wonder whether we have become so focused on this one familiar plant that we have forgotten the entire ngahere.

Each rākau has its own personality and gifts, and they are all amazing! Why rely on one plant when we have so many wonders to explore? Also, working with kawakawa involves tikanga that we need to follow, and every rohe is different. For example, I was taught do not harvest the baby and mother leaves. I felt a bit sad when people treated kawakawa as just another edible plant to forage.

I don't use kawakawa very often, not because I value it any less, but because sometimes, respect is shown by choosing not to take.

How powerfully a rākau works also depends on your relationship with it.

I remember my former boss, Mike McMellon, perhaps the top NZ immigration lawyer, used to tell me that when requesting something from Immigration New Zealand, only use the word urgent if it is genuinely urgent. Although the standard timeframe might be 20 working days, if we overuse the word, it may not carry the same weight when we really need an urgent response.

So, we need to be careful.

It's the same with kawakawa. If more people understood just how powerful this rākau can be, perhaps it wouldn't be so commonly found in chocolate, tea and balm.

I would be very glad to see people promoting more rongoā balms in general, rather than only kawakawa balm.

Kōpākopa, a baby version of kawakawa, is one of the nine sacred herbs in the Anglo-Saxon healing charm known as the Nine Herbs Charm. Pix is a native Kōpākopa.

Caution of using kawakawa 

Wairua-wise, kawakawa is a very powerful rākau. The tikanga surrounding its use is important, and there are also cautions to consider when using it as rongoā. This is another reason I choose not to use kawakawa very often.

A classmate of mine from the North Island once shared a real story with us.

A woman had a swollen throat and drank an infusion made with two kawakawa leaves. She felt that it helped.

The next day, she thought:

If two leaves helped, perhaps eight will help even more.

So she used eight leaves.

But this time, she felt worse.

Of course, we cannot know from this story exactly what caused her reaction. But it reminds us of something important: 

If you are using rongoā as medicine, don't self-prescribe . Seek guidance from a suitably qualified practitioner.

My rongoā teacher, Melani Burchett, always reminded us to exercise caution when considering kawakawa for hapū māmā (pregnant women), breastfeeding māmā, pēpi, kaumātua, and people who are frail or unwell. She also emphasised caution for people experiencing diarrhoea, taking blood-thinning medication, living with low blood pressure, or experiencing mental health challenges.

These are important considerations, not a substitute for individual assessment. Always ask about a person's health, medications and circumstances, and complete a thorough health screening before considering any rongoā treatment.

For me, respecting kawakawa means recognising its potential, understanding its limitations, and knowing when not to use it.

🔥 Kawakawa vs Horopito — Are They Really the Same?

You may have noticed kawakawa and horopito appearing together. Both are sometimes called “pepper trees”, and I've even seen chocolate flavoured with a combination of the two.

But botanically, they are very different plants.

Kawakawa  belongs to the Piperaceae family — the same family as black pepper.

Horopito (Pseudowintera colorata) belongs to the Winteraceae family, a completely different botanical family. Its closest relatives include other species of Pseudowintera, such as lowland horopito (Pseudowintera axillaris). 

But for me, the differences go beyond botanical classification.

Plants have their own whakapapa, and their wairua is different, too.

In my learning, horopito carries a fiery quality. Its leaves have a distinctly hot, peppery taste, and research has identified antifungal properties.

Kawakawa, on the other hand, feels more watery and nourishing to me. When someone is feeling irritated or heated, I think of kawakawa as offering a gentler, calming quality.

This is how I have come to understand these two rākau through my rongoā journey. Rather than seeing them as interchangeable ingredients or replacement of pepper, I see each as having its own element.

I used to serve kawakawa tea for clients in The Healing Hut, 2022.

 

Why I Am Creating “Meeting the Plants”

This kawakawa story is actually the beginning of something bigger.

I am creating a series called:

Meeting Rongoā rakau

One plant at a time.

Not:

“Here are the 10 things this plant can cure.”

And not:

“This plant spiritually means this.”

Instead:

🌿 Meet the plant — its botanical identity
🌏 Meet the place — where and how it grows
📖 Meet the story — pūrākau, history and learning
🌀 Meet the relationship — Rongoā and tikanga
👀 Meet through observation — what we notice
💚 Meet ourselves — what the plant invites us to reflect on

I cannot want to tell you what a plant means. But when you listen, the plant talks. 

I want to invite you to meet the plant.

And kawakawa was the perfect place to begin.

 

The next time you walk past a kawakawa plant, don't just see a native New Zealand plant.

Stop.

Meet it.

Treat it like a person.

And perhaps ask yourself:

“What is this plant inviting me to notice today?”

🌿 Meet the plant. Learn its story. Listen to what it invites you to notice.

Disclaimer: This article shares my own learning journey with Rongoā Māori and kawakawa. Mātauranga Māori and tikanga vary between iwi, hapū, whānau and practitioners. Traditional plant knowledge should not be treated as a substitute for personalised medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or considering using herbal preparations for a health condition, seek appropriate professional advice.