Ngahere Neighbourhood: tātarāmoa (bush lawyer)

🌿 Ngahere Neighbourhood: tātarāmoa (bush lawyer)
Ever found yourself caught in the bush—literally? Chances are you’ve met tātarāmoa, the native bush lawyer (Rubus cissoides).
This hardy climber uses hooked prickles to grip and scramble its way up trees, sometimes reaching more than 10 metres high. Those same hooks can make for an unpleasant surprise to anyone brushing past—but they’re also what help tātarāmoa thrive in the dense ngahere.
In spring, clusters of small white flowers appear, followed by bright red berries from December through April—food for birds, and once a sweet treat for Māori, who also used parts of the plant for medicine and even dye.
A true survivor, tātarāmoa grows across Aotearoa, from lowland forest to wetland edge. Next time you’re walking the tracks at the Sanctuary, look for its toothed leaves and trailing vines weaving their way through the understorey. Just don’t grab on for balance!
📸 Photography by Rebecca Bowater
🔎 Species: Rubus cissoides
🟢 Conservation status: Not Threatened
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #NativePlants #Conservation #NewZealandNature

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