Kōrero: Ngā tupu mai i Hawaiki – plants from Polynesia

The aute (paper mulberry) was introduced into New Zealand by the ancestors of Māori. It was prized in Polynesia, where the bark was beaten into tapa cloth. However, it was difficult to cultivate in New Zealand’s cooler climate, and never thrived. In New Zealand, aute was beaten into paper, which was rolled into small pieces to make earrings. It was also one of the materials used to construct manu aute (a type of kite).