Tī Kōuka - Cabbage Tree

Before Christchurch existed, this landscape was wetlands.

The land stretching from Kaiapoi to Christchurch, and out to Te Waihora, was a vast network of wetlands.  The marsh land provided food, shelter, and protection for Māori of Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island), sustaining communities long before roads or buildings defined the land.

Scattered throughout this swampy world stood one of the most important markers of place: tī kōuka, the cabbage tree. These trees acted as navigational beacons. Hills were the easiest way to orient yourself, but when mist, rain, or low cloud hid them, the tī kōuka marked the way. They traced safe routes across treacherous swampland, guiding travellers through the landscape.

Tī kōuka were valued not only as markers, but as providers. Their strong fibres were used for fishing and weaving, while the kōuru, the tender new shoots, were an important source of protein in a region where kūmara (sweet potato) was difficult to grow. The tree offered sustenance, tools, and direction all in one.

Further to this, tī kōuka carry an even deeper meaning. As one description explains: “The growth pattern of the tī kōuka mirrors the concept of whakapapa and the connectedness of tribal and local history. Our ancestors are closer to us than we may think. The land around us is imbued with their histories. While we cannot go back, we can learn from those who were here before us.”

A significant stand of tī kōuka grows on the grounds of Burnside High School. Known to early Waitaha and Ngāi Tahu as Te Herenga Ora, these trees once served as a vital landmark. Māori travellers used them to navigate from Rāpaki and Te Waihora, across dangerous wetlands, to the Ngāi Tahu pā at Kaiapoi.

Another powerful stand of tī kōuka grows in Victoria Square, on the site of the ancient Waitaha pā, Puari. These trees are described as “the mokopuna of a great tī kōuka who grew there before them.” Today, they mark the circumference of the ancient tree they came from.

They are not just trees. They are memory made visible.

In a modern city of streets and buildings of Christchurch, tī kōuka still stand as quiet witnesses to the older pathways and deeper stories.