The North Island has its toetoe. The South Island has its own version. Smaller. Tougher. Built for the cold. Very similar to the North Island toetoe but is generally smaller. It has narrower leaves and slightly different flower head shape. It was used by Māori for the same purposes: thatching, weaving, kite-making and fire-making. It is found mainly in the South Island and southern North Island. A grass that knows where it belongs. The leaves are long, narrow, and arching, forming a large, fountain-like clump. They are bright green on top and paler underneath, with sharply serrated margins. The flower stalks rise above the leaves, topped with plumed flower heads that are silvery-white or golden. A giant among grasses. A fountain of blades. South Island toetoe is adapted to the cooler, drier conditions of the South Island. It grows on coastal cliffs, sand dunes, and wetlands. It tolerates salt spray, strong winds, and drought. The deep root system helps stabilise sand dunes and prevent erosion. A grass that holds the coast together. The two toetoe species are difficult to tell apart. South Island toetoe generally has narrower leaves and smaller flower heads. It is also less common in cultivation. A grass for the botanist. A grass for the dedicated. To find South Island toetoe is to walk the coastal cliffs and sand dunes of the South Island. Look for the large, fountain-like clumps of arching leaves, the towering flower heads. It is a plant of the southern coast, a giant among grasses. The leaves are sharp, but the flowers are soft. The wind bends the plumes. The leaves rustle. The toetoe holds the dune together, sharp blades and all. It does not need to be pretty. It just needs to hold on. And it does. It has been doing it for thousands of years.