Kawakawa + Ginger Tea

kawakawa tea

Kawakawa has a special place in my heart – it was the first ‘real’ (ie not from a bag) herb tea I ever made many moons ago. Such a powerful healer – 72 medicinal uses according to Murdoch Reilly’s “Maori Healing and Herbal” – and I was at the time healing up from wicked eczema. The eczema is long since cured but my love of Kawakawa lives on. The best afternoon pick me up ever.

Kawakawa + Ginger Tea

4 kawakawa leaves (choose the holey ones)
1 or 2 slices of ginger
2 cups of water

Put everything into a small pot and simmer very gently for 15minutes or so with the lid on to capture all the goodness.
Strain into a cup and add a good squeeze of lemon.
Honey to sweeten if you need it.

kawakawa

Kawakawa is indispensable! As useful in the garden as in the kitchen.

One of those helpful shrubs that’s happy in the shade beneath taller trees. So good to fill this otherwise weedy zone. Her heart shaped leaves bring a contrast and restful green lushness. Perfectly at home in native plantings – I’ve scattered Kawakawa through the flaxes and corokia in the border around our property, but works equally well with exotics. Here she is tucked under the wing of the Michelia Figo that keeps our water tank cool in summer. I harvest this one close to the house for my tea.

Comments

  1. kawakawa is an old remedy my mum gave to us. If we had sores she would dry the leaf and put it directly on the wound and cover with bandage. We also drank it and it acted as a wonderful supplement to our diet, so cost effective too. Great healer

    • Thanks for your note Kairi! What an awesome mum 🙂 Yes I’ve used it plenty of times on my kids as a poultice and exceptional wound healer. Not only cost effective, but better than anything you can buy.

  2. Donna Eldridge says

    PayPal too bloody involved.. I have just started an automatic payment to you instead.
    Long may you continue to write

    • haha … fair enough and thanks so much for your ongoing support! I trust that when I am no longer helpful or inspriing to you you’ll remember that AP and knock it off 🙂
      Thank you
      Kath

  3. Maria Penny says

    Hi Kath,
    How do I get Kawakawa for my garden? Do you source seeds or plants?