Stunning vine which is a tohu of Spring!

One of the most beautiful native plant climbers that bursts into large beautiful white, starry flowers in spring that is often visible from afar. Puawananga is believed to be an indicator of whether summer will be early or late. This "flower of learning" is the child of two stars, Rehua (Antares, the sign of summer) and Puanga (Rigel), the star of the harvest, indicating the time for planting and harvesting.

Puawananga is also used for medical purposes. Wahine use it for multiple purposes such as general blood disorders, skin eruptions, kidney troubles, haemorrhages, and bleeding piles. Some use the leaves to produce blisters as a counter-irritant and the sap to help heal wounds. Puawananga is known to have only been taken by wahine. Some administered it three times daily before meals.

Planting
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.

They can take up to 3 years to germinate but we are up for the challenge!  

$5 for 8 seeds