Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Tree
Origin
-
New Zealand
Types
Cactus
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
-8
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Rocky areas, Sandhills
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-9
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
8.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
-
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
-
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Hardwood Cuttings, Semi-hardwood cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water
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
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
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
Nutrients
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Used for its medicinal properties
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
Pachycereus pringlei
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Cardon, Mexican giant cardon, elephant cactus
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Cardon
pohutukawa
In German
Cardon
pohutukawa
In French
Cardon
pohutukawa
In Spanish
Cardon
pohutukawa
In Greek
Cardon
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
Cardon
pohutukawa
In Polish
Cardon
pohutukawa
In Latin
Cardon
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Myrtales
Family
Cactaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Pachycereus
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Pachycereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
1212
1
27800
👆🏻