Kokihi, native spinach pea straw mulch

Kokihi / NZ spinach is an incredibly versatile plant and one that I use almost everywhere.

Lichen

A lichen is made up of at least two living things – a fungus (which cannot make its own food) and an organism that photosynthesises (makes food using sunlight), such as an alga or a cyanobacterium. Together, they form the lichen’s body.

Walking Trees, Parasitic Flowers, and Other Remarkable Plants

Matilda

Two days into our latest lockdown I lost Matilda, my last and loveliest chicken. Thank you for your eggs, thank you for your fertilisation.

Cordycipitaceae (family)

More commonly known as the zombie fungus, Cordyceps infects insects, taking control of motor functions through a process that is still a mystery to science. The fungi then effectively drive the insect to an elevated location where the fruiting bodies of the fungus proceed to explode through the body of the insect, spreading millions of spores into the atmosphere.

The fungal mind: on the evidence for mushroom intelligence

Garden survey, Maungawhau/Mt Eden

It seems appropriate to adorn this post with the mighty Puriri that serves as the matriarch over a huge swathe of the land where I live. I'm no expert at estimating the age of trees but this magnificent specimen has to be at least 300+ years old!

Fantastic ferns

Fernery and Display Houses, Pukekura Park, Taranaki.

Blushing plants reveal when fungi are growing in their roots

Kahikatea Farm

Sunrise over Kahikatea Farm.

Suillus luteus (Slippery Jack)

Suillus luteus, found around coniferous plantations. Collected, peeled and fried for a delicious meal.

Awakino Gorge

Ponga and tree fern in the Awakino mist.

Hara, Hura, Cormocephalus rubriceps

Hara / hura in Māori, cormocephalus rubriceps, NZ giant centipede. This specimen was found in Glendowie, Auckland.

Fish and manure soup

Fish frame and horse manure soup brewing for soil amendment/micro biological density explosion!

Tecomanthe speciosa

Native to Aotearoa and one of the rarest plants in the world, the last remaining species was found on the Three Kings Islands in 1945.

Pohutukawa

Pohutukawa in full Christmas bloom.

Puriri leaf tea

Early every summer the mighty Puriri tree that covers half of my property sheds old leaves. A perfect primary ingredient for a soil amending soup.

Cladonia (Pixie Cup Lichens)

Compounds are extracted from some species to create antibiotic cream.