Thread: Native plant identification

Cabbage tree: do note that extracting the centre of the base of the tree, or the pith (I understood it to be the crown under where the flower pops out) is fatal for the tree. They don't like it you know. Must admit if I was stuck in the bush and hungry there'd be no 2nd thought - but felt I should comment lest some members decide to do a 'bush survival' menu for their Christmas dinner . . . . . .

Originally Posted by SiB

Cabbage tree: do note that extracting the centre of the base of the tree, or the pith (I understood it to be the crown under where the flower pops out) is fatal for the tree. They don't like it you know. Must admit if I was stuck in the bush and hungry there'd be no 2nd thought - but felt I should comment lest some members decide to do a 'bush survival' menu for their Christmas dinner . . . . . .

I have eaten it. It tastes very much like cabbage! Needs lots of salt.
Dad was doing some bulldozing and these trees had to go so we gave it a try...better than wasting the tree

Tanekaha (Phyllocladus trichomanoides) is a coniferous tree...the local dialect in my area refers to it as toatoa...and just to confuse everyone even more Haloragis erecta and Phyllocladus alpinus are also known as toatoa...