Metrosideros excelsa

For Kermadec pōhutukawa, see Metrosideros kermadecensis.

Pōhutukawa
Pōhutukawa trees in Cornwallis Beach
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Metrosideros
Species:
M. excelsa
Binomial name
Metrosideros excelsa
Synonyms[1]
  • Metrosideros tomentosa A.Rich.
  • Nania tomentosa (A.Rich.) Kuntze
Botanical illustration of a pōhutukawa sprig by Ellen Cheeseman

Metrosideros excelsa, commonly known as the pōhutukawa,[2] New Zealand Christmas tree,[3][4] or iron tree,[5] is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red (or occasionally orange, yellow[6] or white[7]) flowers, each consisting of a mass of stamens. The pōhutukawa is one of twelve Metrosideros species endemic to New Zealand. Renowned for its vibrant colour and its ability to survive even perched on rocky, precarious cliffs, it has found an important place in New Zealand culture for its strength and beauty, and is regarded as a chiefly tree (rākau rangatira) by Māori.[8]

  1. ^ "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families".
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wassilieff was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Māori Plant Use Database".
  4. ^ Simon Cordingley & Claire Petherick (2005), Vegetation Management Plan Henley Beach to Tennyson Coastal Reserve (PDF), City of Charles Sturt, retrieved 4 January 2016
  5. ^ Pests in Gardens and Landscapes, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, retrieved 4 January 2017
  6. ^ Dawson, Murray; et al. (2010). "Metrosideros in cultivation: Pohutukawa" (PDF). New Zealand Garden Journal. 13 (1): 10–22. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
  7. ^ Dawson, Murray; et al. (2010). "Metrosideros in cultivation: Rātā and other species" (PDF). New Zealand Garden Journal. 13 (2): 10–23.
  8. ^ "The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, Part 2". Inset to The New Zealand Herald. 2 March 2010. p. 5.