Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
New Zealand
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Metrosideros excelsa
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
85
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-12-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12*7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
H1, H2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
910.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Crimson
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Gray
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Gray
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Gray
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acicular
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
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
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Dysentry
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Wood
Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
METROSIDEROS excelsa
BASELLA alba
Common Name
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
pohutukawa
पोई
In German
pohutukawa
Malabarspinat
In French
pohutukawa
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
pohutukawa
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
pohutukawa
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
pohutukawa
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
pohutukawa
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
pohutukawa
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Eudicotyledones
Order
Myrtales
Caryophyllales
Family
Myrtaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Metrosideros
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1260
1
27800
👆🏻