Prior to the establishment of Christchurch, the land surrounding was essentially wetlands. The swampy landscape from Kaiapoi to Christchurch and out to Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) provided abundant food sources and protection for the Māori of Te Wai Pounamu.
Significant landmarks throughout the area were the prized Tī kōuka (cabbage trees) which were carefully planted to mark out navigational routes. The hills were the easiest way to keep your bearings, but if they were obscured by weather, the cabbage trees would show the way.
Tī kōuka also provided a strong fibre used for fishing the kōuru (new shoots) were an important source of protein in a land where kūmara was difficult to grow.
For Māori a deeper meaning connects to ancestors... "The growth pattern of the tī kōuka mirrors the concept of whakapapa and the connectedness of tribal and local history. Our ancestors are closer to us than we may think. The land around us is imbued with their histories. While we cannot go back, we can learn from those who were here before us."
A significant stand of tī kōuka (cabbage trees) grows in the grounds of Burnside High School. This cluster of trees was known to early Waitaha and Ngāi Tahu as Te Herenga Ora and was used as a landmark by Māori travellers to help guide them from Rāpaki and Te Waihora through treacherous swampland to the Ngāi Tahu pā of Kaiapoi.
Another significant stand grows in Victoria Square on the site of the ancient Waitaha pā, Puari. They are described... "These trees are the mokopuna of a great tī kōuka who grew there before them. Today they mark the circumference of the ancient tree from which they sprung. They are a living memorial to their ancestor."
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/ti-kouka-whenua/
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/ti-kouka-whenua/te-herenga-ora/