A distinctive sedge that forms large tussocks on raised stilts of roots. The stilt roots lift the tussock above the water, allowing the plant to survive in waterlogged soils. The roots are thick and woody, forming a dense platform. The leaves are long and arching, dark green, with a rough texture. A plant that stands above the flood. The seed heads are dark brown, almost black, and appear in summer. They are held on tall stalks above the leaves. The seeds are dispersed by wind and water. A plant that sends its children on the wind. Pukio is common in wetlands, swamps and lake margins throughout New Zealand. It is often the dominant plant in these habitats, forming large tussocks that provide shelter for birds and insects. The stilt roots create a complex microhabitat, with small pools and crevices between the roots. A plant that builds homes for others. The plant was used by Māori for weaving and for making fish traps (hīnaki). The long, strong leaves were soaked to soften them, then woven into baskets, mats, and traps. The stilt roots were sometimes used as a source of timber for small projects. A plant that made the tools that caught the fish. To find pukio is to walk the margins of wetlands and lakes. Look for the large tussocks on stilts, the dark green arching leaves, the dark brown seed heads. It is a plant of the wet places, a survivor of the swamp. The stilt roots lift it above the water, a reminder that sometimes you need to rise above the flood. The swamp is wet. The water is high. The pukio stands on its stilts, dark green leaves arching, seed heads dark against the sky. The flood rises. The pukio does not drown. It has been here for thousands of years. It will be here when the flood recedes.