Tropicals, Woody > Metrosideros > Metrosideros excelsa > Metrosideros excelsa
Metrosideros excelsa
New Zealand Christmas Tree; Settler's Christmas Tree or Pohutukawa
Origin: Native to New Zealand, first described by missionary Henry Williams in 1833, and first published in 1857
Mike's
Opinion
"
I have seen this tree in flower in New Zealand at Christmas and to say the least it is outstanding.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Myrtaceae |
| Genus |
| Metrosideros |
| Species |
| excelsa |
| Category |
| Tropicals, Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10 - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Cool season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1c - H3 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -1 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 30 |
| Height |
| 20 - 30 m |
| Spread |
| 9 - 10 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Landscape |
| Windbreak along coastal shorelines because it is dense and salt tolerant. Can also be used as a hedge or specimen tree. |
| Cultivation |
| Well-drained, loam or sand soils that are moist to dry and in full sun. Tolerant to salt, smog, wind and drought. Extremely sensitive to frost. Neutral to slightly alkaline soil pH. |
| Shape |
| Large oval or rounded shape that is spreading with a low canopy. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| Habitat |
| Rocky cliffs and coastal shorelines. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Corky. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Large, oval shaped, covered in tiny hairs. Inflorescence buds are in clusters. Dormant buds are protected by bud scales. Vegetative and inflorescence buds are identical. |
| Leaf Description |
| Simple, oblong to ovate, 4 - 7 cm and can live for up to 2 years. Young leaves are hairy. Mature leaves have a wax coating and have soft dense hairs to reduce water loss. Leaf arrangement is opposite. |
| Flower Description |
| Stamen are 4 – 7 cm. Inflorescence of broad compound cymes containing many flowers. Flowers in spring and summer. |
| Fruit Description |
| Small (0.6 – 1.27 cm), hairy seed capsules with up to 30 in a cluster. Fruits develop in spring and summer. Capsules are opened by the wind to disperse seed. |
| Colour Description |
| The bark is a greyish-brown to dark brown colour. The buds are white to light green. Leaves are dark-olive green. The underside of the mature leaves are white. The flowers are a showy crimson red colour with yellow tips. The buds are light greenish-grey. |
| Texture Description |
| The barks texture is rough and stringy. The buds appear to be soft and fuzzy due to its tiny hairs. The leafs have a leathery texture when mature. |
| Notable Specimens |
| San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California, United States of America. |
| Propagation |
| Hardwood cuttings or by seed. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| In the 1800s the New Zealand settlers used the flowers as table decorations for feasts and to decorate churches and dwellings. Metrosideros excelsa is also a part of Maori stories, representing blood. It can be used to stop bleeding and for coughs/colds. Fine bush honey can be made from this tree and the wood is used for ship-making, bearings and machine beds. |
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