swamp tātarāmoa

Rubus australis | swamp tātarāmoa, taramoa, bush lawyer, swamp lawyer

A vigorous, prickly native New Zealand climber found in various forests. Its hooked, thorny branches allow it to scramble across the ground and ascend into shrubs and trees, potentially reaching 10 meters with stems up to 10 cm thick in favorable conditions. This intriguing plant features shorter, broader leaves compared to other Rubus species, with long, narrow, toothed, and pointed leaflets. It produces masses of small, fragrant white flowers in large, loose sprays up to 60cm long, with male and female flowers on separate plants. These are followed by edible, sweet, raspberry-like fruits ranging from yellow to red-orange, which are highly popular with native birds like tūī and kererū.