Tutu (plant) facts for kids
Tutu plants are a group of plants found in New Zealand. Their common name, "Tutu," comes from the Māori people. These plants belong to the Coriaria family.
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What are Tutu Plants?
Tutu plants can be shrubs (small bushes) or trees. Some types of Tutu plants are endemic to New Zealand, meaning they are only found there and nowhere else in the world.
There are six native New Zealand species known as Tutu:
- Coriaria angustissima
- Coriaria arborea
- Coriaria lurida
- Coriaria plumosa
- Coriaria pteridoides
- Coriaria sarmentosa
Why Tutu Plants Can Be Dangerous
Most parts of the Tutu plant are poisonous. They contain a strong natural chemical called tutin. This chemical is a neurotoxin, which means it can harm the nervous system.
In the past, when European settlers first arrived in New Zealand, many cattle became sick or died from eating Tutu plants. The seeds and the sap (the liquid inside the plant) are especially poisonous.
How Māori People Used Tutu
Even though Tutu plants are poisonous, the Māori people found a way to use the fruit safely. They would carefully remove the poisonous seeds from the fruit. Then, they would boil the fruit with a type of seaweed called rimu. This process created a jelly known as rehia. This jelly was sometimes fermented, meaning it was left to change over time, similar to how some drinks are made.
Tutu and Honey
Sometimes, honey in New Zealand can become poisonous because of Tutu plants. This happens in a special way involving tiny insects.
How Honey Becomes Toxic
1. Sap-sucking insects: Small insects called vine hoppers (Scolypopa australis) feed on the sap of Tutu bushes. 2. Honeydew: These hoppers eat the sap, but they don't digest all of it. They excrete the undigested sap, which is full of plant sugars and also contains the tutin toxin. This sticky, sweet liquid is called "honeydew" and it drips onto the leaves of the Tutu bush. 3. Bees collect honeydew: Honey bees sometimes collect this honeydew from the leaves instead of nectar from flowers. 4. Toxic honey: When bees make honey from this poisonous honeydew, the honey itself becomes toxic.
Symptoms of Toxic Honey Poisoning
Eating honey that contains tutin can make people very sick. Symptoms can include feeling confused (delirium), throwing up (vomiting), and in serious cases, falling into a deep sleep (coma).
The last recorded deaths from this type of honey poisoning happened in Northland, New Zealand, in 1890. However, even today, there are still occasional reports of people getting sick from toxic honey.
