Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Southern Africa
New Zealand
Types
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
208
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1110-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-9
Sunset Zone
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Red
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic and Ovate
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Shade areas
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes 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
Acidic, Neutral
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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas
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
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Carissia
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Carissa
pohutukawa
In German
carissa
pohutukawa
In French
carissa
pohutukawa
In Spanish
carissa
pohutukawa
In Greek
carissa
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
carissa
pohutukawa
In Polish
carissa
pohutukawa
In Latin
carissa
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Gentianales
Myrtales
Family
Apocynaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Carissa
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Carisseae
-
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
-
Number of Species
10012
1
27800
👆🏻