The fruit is ripening on the karaka trees in my back garden. Such lustrous leaves, such beautifully coloured fruit. And growth like weeds!
This photo is taken on tall tree #2- which was self-sown some years back. And the growth of these fruit is such that I will need to go and pull up seedlings again soon- or else I would easily have a whole grove of karaka trees in the back garden...
Very pretty. From what I have read, the fruit is not easily edible? Am I right that you have to boil or steam it to be edible? The site you linked to says they are also roasted after boiling. Is the taste worth it? Can you make jam with this fruit??
ReplyDeleteMichèle (Ottawa
The fruit was used a lot by Maori in pre-European times, but the kernel is very toxic, so needs special preparation. I don't know anyone who eats karaka fruit today. You would really need to know what you were doing.
ReplyDeleteThere is some research being done at Massey University into how karaka were moved around the country by Maori people in the past. http://massey.academia.edu/RobinAtherton
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff that I understand only minimally !
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how they infer things like mobility from DNA changes either.... I just know someone is studying how karaka were deliberately moved around the country by Maori...
ReplyDelete