Kawakawa is native to New Zealand and grows readily around most of the county but not in places with severe frosts, with it’s heart shaped vibrant green leaves it makes a lovely garden plant and can usually be found in your local park or bush.

A cousin to Kava which is the well known ceremonial drink shared in the Pacific Islands, Kawakawa does not have any narcotic effects, it does however have many heath benefits and can be made into a poultice to use on wounds, or an oil that’s used in balms such as Trisha’s Viral Salve. It can be made into tea to keep your digestive system healthy and help with stomach ailments and bronchial complaints or you can chew the leaves to to help relief the pain of a toothache.

For skin sores simply take a leaf, bash it a little and put it over the sore with a plaster to hold it in place. The leaf will draw out the infection.

To make tea take 12 leaves and place in 1.5 litres of water. Boil for twenty minutes with the lid on, strain and drink 1/2 a cup three times a day for digestive issues or 1/2 a cup a day for a general tonic.

For more information on the web regarding this wonderful plant and it’s many uses, check out Love, Food Nourish

If you’d like to grow Kawakawa seeds can be purchased from nzseeds.co.nz at only $12.00 for 100 seeds and information on how to propagate Kawakawa and collect seeds can be found on Doc’s site seed collection and propagation guide

References:

Recipe’s For A Cleaner Life, Wendyl Nissen

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