Story: Shrubs and small trees of the forest

Tree tutu

Tree tutu

Tree tutu (Coriaria arborea) is a many-stemmed shrub or small tree, found on open sites, river banks and forest margins. It produces pairs of leaves on its soft branches. Spikes of flowers hang from the branches in spring and summer and shiny purple-black fruits ripen through late summer and autumn. Apart from its swollen flower petals, all parts of the plant are poisonous.

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Photographs by Jeremy Rolfe

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How to cite this page:

Joanna Orwin, 'Shrubs and small trees of the forest - Broadleaf colonisers', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/13804/tree-tutu (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Joanna Orwin, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Jul 2015