The purple-flowered pioneer of the regenerating forest. A tree that wears its best colours early. Poroporo has a beauty matched by its usefulness. At three to five metres in height, it is a small, soft-wooded shrub or tree, with large, soft, dark green leaves and striking, purple, star-shaped flowers that appear in summer. The flowers are followed by bright orange, berry-like fruits that hang in clusters, a splash of colour against green foliage. A tree that gives colour and food. A tree of the open places. Poroporo grows in lowland forests, scrublands, and regenerating bush, preferring open, sunny locations with well-drained, fertile soils. Often found along forest margins, in clearings, and in disturbed ground, colonising areas after fire or land clearance. A tree that takes advantage of disaster. A short-lived pioneer, growing quickly and producing flowers and fruit within a few years of germination. An important food source for birds, which eat the bright orange berries and disperse seeds across the landscape. A tree that lives fast and dies young. Poroporo has a long history of medicinal use. It contains solasodine, a compound used in manufacture of steroid drugs, including oral contraceptives. Māori traditionally used the plant as a contraceptive and for treating skin infections, including scabies and ringworm. Leaves were crushed and applied as a poultice, or boiled and liquid used as a wash. A tree that heals and prevents. To see a Poroporo is to see a tree that has been shaped by both nature and culture. Its purple flowers are a reminder of the beauty of the regenerating forest, and its medicinal properties are a reminder of the deep knowledge that Māori had of the plants around them. The clearing is bare. The poroporo grows, purple flowers bright against the green, orange berries waiting for the birds. It will be gone in a few years. The forest will take over. That is the deal. It does not mind. It was never meant to stay.