Metrosideros excelsa
Pōhutukawa · also New Zealand Christmas tree, Iron tree
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Pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) is a coastal evergreen tree native to New Zealand, known for its brilliant display of red, orange, yellow, or white flowers. It features a gnarled, twisted trunk and leathery, dark green leaves. This resilient species is well-suited for urban coastal environments due to its high tolerance for salt and wind, providing shade and attracting a variety of birds and pollinators.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 6,8225.1%—11 in
- 7590.05%——
- 3000.06%30 yr4.5 in
- 2070.14%—3.8 in
Traits
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 30–40 ft
- Canopy spread
- 30–35 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Water needs
- Low
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Wildlife value
- High
- Tolerates
- coastal, salt
- Blooms
- Jan, Feb, Dec
Trunk diameters across every city: median 10 in, mean 11 in, 90th percentile 18 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- New Zealand North Island temperate forests
Other Metrosideros in the catalogue
4 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
