Life Span
Biennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
New Zealand
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
208
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1310-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
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
Birds
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
pohutukawa
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
pohutukawa
In French
arbre de papillon
pohutukawa
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
pohutukawa
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
pohutukawa
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
pohutukawa
In Latin
Gloria ligno
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Fabales
Myrtales
Family
Fabaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Cercideae
-
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
-
Number of Species
50012
1
27800
👆🏻