know your new zealand flora
Scientific name: Leptospermum scoparium. Etymology: Ol’ pal William Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” And the bard had a point: whether you call this plant manuka, kahikatoa or Captain Cook’s chosen moniker, tea tree, it’s still going to delight the senses with its cloud of delicately scented flowers and general loveliness. Description: Speaking of flowers, those sweet-smelling blooms are usually white or pink with short, dark red stamens (aka those bristly bits in the centre of the petals that produce all the pollen). They pop up along each woody branch between needle-like leaves and teeny capsules full of seeds that are blown off by the wind and dispersed so more plants can grow. Not that manuka needs a lot of help in that department: New Zealand farmers often see the shrub (or tree – it can grow up to 15 metres tall)
