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One of the most beautiful native plant climbers that bursts into large white, starry flowers in spring that is often visible for miles, Puawananga an indicator of whether summer will be early or late, and whether the crops will be abundant.
This "flower of learning" is the child of the celestial beings, Rehua (Antares), the sign of Summer and Puanga (Rigel), the sign of Spring, the star of the harvest, time for planting for the season of plenty to come!
Our ancestors believe in using puawananga for medical purposes. Wahine (Female) may use it for multiple things like general blood disorders, skin eruptions, kidney troubles, hemorrhage's, and bleeding piles. They would use the leaves to produce blisters as a counter-irritant and the sap to help heal wounds. Puawananga was only taken by wahine. They would take it three times daily before meals.
PLANTING A PUAWANANGA
Puawananga can be grown in the garden, but it does have some specific requirements; in the wild, it will naturally root in the cooler temperatures of the forest floor.
The root system of a Puawānanga needs to be cool and shaded. The ideal spot is to plant it amongst shrubs in a light, airy soil and have somewhere for it to climb–for example, along your fence or up an established tree. It won’t tolerate water-logged roots.
If other plants can’t be used as shade, you can try using a thick mulch or even a physical barrier of bits of wood or old pots–anything to keep it cool, moist, and in the shade.
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