Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Flowering Plants
Tree
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
New Zealand
Types
-
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
408
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
pohutukawa
In German
Kracher penstemon
pohutukawa
In French
Firecracker penstemon
pohutukawa
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
pohutukawa
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
pohutukawa
In Polish
petarda penstemon
pohutukawa
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
-
Class
-
-
Order
Lamiales
Myrtales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
25012
1
27800
👆🏻