This is a small native tree growing to about eight metres. Wide spread throughout the country except in the deep south and alpine areas, we see it mostly in second growth bush and occasionally appearing unexpectedly in our gardens. Most of us recognize its glossy palmate leaves with their 5 -7 serrated leaflets, and in summer its clusters of purple fruit. And most of us never give it a second thought.

Between June and August large clusters of dark purple buds burst open with hundreds of tiny pinkish white flowers, about 5mm across. Fiona Eadie (100 best native plants for New Zealand gardens, 2008, p. 194) asserts that these tiny flowers of five-finger, born on both male and female plants, are of little interest to birds. However, many of our native birds appear to have a different view of the matter. In early August I watched with delight for several days as korimako (bellbird) and tui worked their way through the multiple clusters on the tree outside the kitchen window.

In summer the dark purple fruit appears on the female plants only – and back come the birds, this time including wax-eye and kereru (native wood pigeon), if you are fortunate enough to have these nearby.

So if you have five-finger in your garden don’t chop it out; you have a beautiful bird-feeder right there, and what’s more the birds will keep planting them. It’s a circular economy!