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Story: Te ngahere – forest lore

Karaka groves

Video file

Tipene O’Regan explains how karaka groves were deliberately planted throughout New Zealand. Although the kernels are poisonous, Māori had developed a way to make them edible.

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How to cite this page

Rāwiri Taonui, Te ngahere – forest lore – Fruiting trees, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/14117/karaka-groves (accessed 3 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 2 March 2009.