Harakeke PLant

                                

      Harakeke, is one of New Zealand's most distinctive plants, 

Harakeke also known as flax can come in very handy and also

have long, often stiff leaves which can also reach up to 4 meters

in length.

Harakeke can be also used for making things such as mats, ropes,

dried flower stalks, as well as baskets, which did you know, back in

the days men and women would make baskets out of Harakeke to

catch fish and also to hold their finger licking food.

Before wanting to cut a Harakeke plant you should always karakia

or in other words pray first. They say always cut diagonal, away

from the plants heart and from top to bottom. Harvesting is

permitted at night or in rain.

Harakeke plants grow throughout New Zealand, from sea level to about 1300 m in

elevation. It is commonly found in lowland wetlands and along rivers,

and in dunes and cliffs.

Did you know that Harakeke is local to New Zealand, meaning that it

grows nowhere else in the world.

In closing I hope you learnt more about Harakeke.