This is the most beautiful plant of Aotearoa / New Zealand but is nationally critical. Sadly it has been driven out of it's home by possums who view it as a delicacy so it has retreated to the side of steep cliffs where it is hanging on precariously to life.

If this was a cute feathered bird with quirky habits then people would be lining up to save it, like they do for the kiwi, takahe and other other rare endemic birds of NZ.

It should be the national plant of New Zealand as it is a symphony of colour with the yellow, green, white and golden leaves highlighted by the splashes of red flowers which I see as symbolic of all the nationalities that call New Zealand home.

While the Maori for this is Kohuhu tangihua (Kohuhu = pittosporum and tangihua=serpentine) it is interesting to note that "tangi" is in the name - maybe this is because as well as being a serpentine pittosporum it is also crying out for survival.