Tree Tutu

Coriaria arborea, commonly known as tutu and tree tutu, is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Coriariaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand. Every part of C. arborea, except the juice of the fruits, contains the toxin tutin, which is highly poisonous to humans and livestock. Poisonings can result in brain paralysis, convulsions, exhaustion, memory loss, or even death. C. arborea is a bushy shrub which can grow to a height of 7 metres (23 feet). C. arborea is able to colonise new areas of moist ground, and can be found on debris fans, glacial moraine, and stream banks.

The plant was first described in 1868 by Scottish botanist William Lauder Lindsay. There are seven New Zealand members of the Coriaria genus. C. arborea's pollination strategy is uncertain, although a 2025 source argured it is pollinated by the wind. Its seeds are dispersed by fruit-eating animals (frugivores), such as birds and lizards. A nitrogen-fixating plant, C. arborea helps enrich soil quality. The indigenous Māori were able to juice the fruits, filtering them through toetoe (Austroderia sp.) to remove the toxic seeds. C. arborea's 2023 assessment in the New Zealand Threat Classification System was "Not Threatened".