February is when the Tōtara fruits where I live. Tōtara berries edible delight! I hold this tree in high regard, what an amazing tree!
Considered a rakau rangitira, a chiefly tree by Māori, Tōtara’s timber was traditionally used for building, carving, tools and waka. It was used as a fire starter: scraping a Tōtara stick on softer wood, such as Mahoe.
Totara fruit
The fruit was a favourite food of Maori and birds such as tui, kekeru, kokako. The fruit of the Tōtara is a seed seated on a swollen red base. It has a sweet and juicy, slightly piney taste. My tamariki know where all the Tōtara grow on the fringe of the ngahere, the forest, behind our house.
Bird poop power
Often, before I notice the fruit, I notice the bird poop littered with Tōtara seed. These are actually the magic seeds to grow, as their digestive system grinds away the hard outer coating on seeds, making them more likely to germinate. Plus, they are already deposited in fertilizer when they land in the soil.
Mother nature has magic ways!
Tohu / signs from nature
The fruits appear here late summer, and to me are a tohu, a sign – as soon as I see them I am reminded to sow seeds for my winter garden. The weather is still warm now, but will cool quickly and I want to get seedlings planted so they have a chance to get established before Autumn and the cool months where things grow slowly.
I have already sown some winter crops:
– Mustard, mizuna, parsley, spring onion, leek, chard, spinach, broccoli, coriander, rocket and celery.
– This Autumn I will also sow in prep for spring: Heritage cherry tomatoes, Red capsicum, and a variety of Edible flowers.
This is your sign to get sowing. And try foraging, with thanks, to magnificent Tōtara.
!!! BIG NOTE !!! – Know what you are picking do NOT confuse Tōtara with the poisonous, introduced Yew tree.
What signs of nature are you noticing now? What tohu do you see?
In our house my tamariki have have has their attention drawn to nature from a young age. We use nature hunts every season to engage then to search, observe, notice the season and its signs.
What else they notice is always magic!
- Go to: Nature Hunts > Seasons of Aotearoa
- Go to: Seasonal Calendar
- Shop on Etsy: https://ascensionatpaitu.etsy.com
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