Mānuka
“ Kānuka is kind, Mānuka is mean!” One of my favourite little rhymes for remembering how to tell these two similar looking native trees apart. Mānuka has stiff, prickly-tipped leaves, while Kānuka’s leaves are much softer to the touch.
Mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium), one of Aotearoa’s most iconic native plants, is in flower again, filling the air with its fresh, herbal scent and delicate white or pink blossoms.
While Mānuka is world famous for its honey, the plant itself has a fascinating history of medicinal use. Its leaves, flowering tips and essential oil have attracted scientific interest for their antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, particularly in relation to skin health.
Mānuka leaves have traditionally been infused into teas for colds, coughs, fevers and digestive upsets. The aromatic leaves make a lovely herbal brew, with a fresh, earthy flavour. You can use a small fresh sprig or a teaspoon of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Cover and leave to infuse for 5–10 minutes, then strain. The flowering tips can also be added to your favourite herbal tea blends for their distinctive flavour.
Historically, Mānuka tea was drunk by early European explorers, including Captain Cook, who used the leaves to brew a tea as an alternative to imported Chinese tea. This is one reason Mānuka became known as the New Zealand tea tree.
Mānuka has also been used in traditional Māori rongoā practices, including preparations for fevers, stomach complaints and urinary ailments, as well as washes and mouth rinses. These practices are part of a much wider body of Māori medicinal knowledge, and anyone wanting to learn about rongoā Māori should seek guidance from a knowledgeable local practitioner.
The plant's aromatic leaves have also been used in external preparations. Traditionally, leaf infusions were applied as washes for the skin, while the essential oil has been studied for its activity against certain bacteria and fungi.
I love harvesting Mānuka flowers at their prime to infuse into organic apricot or almond oil for my botanical skincare. My Mānuka facial moisturiser was created with troubled, acne-prone and combination skin in mind, using the plant's aromatic flowers as part of a gentle, nourishing botanical formulation.
The Mānuka tree in my garden has survived multiple floods over the years, a testament to just how hardy this native plant is. Mānuka thrives in poor soils, exposed hillsides and coastal conditions, often among the first plants to regenerate bare ground and shelter other native seedlings as they establish. When harvesting, I always leave plenty of flowers for the bees and other beneficial insects.
If you want to learn how to make your own herbal remedies, my Grassroots Herbalism guide is a great place to start. It focuses on medicinal plants that are easy to forage or grow here in New Zealand, with simple recipes for making your own herbal teas, infused oils, tinctures, syrups and more. It also covers dosage and precautions, giving you the knowledge and confidence to start working with plants and making your own herbal remedies at home.