Kōrero: Tall broadleaf trees

Karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus), a hardy tree with large glossy leaves and orange fruits, is found in coastal forests of the North Island and northern South Island, and on the Chatham Islands. Before people arrived in New Zealand, it probably only grew in the northern North Island. Māori cultivated and spread the plant after learning how to make the poisonous fruits edible.