hangehange

Geniostoma ligustrifolium var. ligustrifolium | hangehange, New Zealand privet

 

Recognised for its sweet, distinctive vanilla or hyacinth-like aroma that permeates the air on calm evenings, especially during its late spring flowering with small greenish-white blooms. This shrub features slender, brittle branches adorned with bright, glossy, lime green, pointed oval leaves. In late summer, its green capsules mature into dry black ones that split open, revealing small orange seeds. Hangehange is a useful filler or bush edge plant that also works well for underplanting and trims nicely.

coastal forest

lowland forest

well drained

free draining

full sun

partial shade

height | 3m

width | 2m

flowering |  October-November

fruiting |  February-March

Historically, Hangehange leaves were a key flavoring in Māori cuisine; they were used to wrap kumara and cabbage tree roots before being cooked in a hāngī imparting a unique taste to the meal. The plant's bark also had various applications: it could be pulped to create a black dye, and its sap was prepared as a lotion to treat children's sores and itchy skin.