He Aitaka a Tāne
Pātōtara – The perfect sweet treat
There are not that many native New Zealand plants that produce a sweet and tasty fruit that you can pick and eat straight off the plant.
Pātōtara, a prickly low-growing shrub, is one of the few. Its juicy yellow/orange berries that ripen in summer and early autumn were once a popular sweet treat for Māori and Pākehā children, in the days before they could buy confectionery from the corner dairy.