Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Tree
Origin
North America, South America, Brazil
New Zealand
Types
Peanut cactus
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
1288
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Sandy areas, Semi desert
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-1510-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-9
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, Rose
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange Red
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, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, fertilize in summer, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Scale
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Skin cuts
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility, Very little waste
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Heals minor burns, Heart problems, High blood pressure, Wounds
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
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
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
ECHINOPSIS
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Hedgehog Cactus, Sea urchin cactus
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
हाथी कैक्टस
pohutukawa
In German
Igel Kaktus
pohutukawa
In French
hérisson cactus
pohutukawa
In Spanish
cactus de erizo
pohutukawa
In Greek
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
hedgehog cactus
pohutukawa
In Polish
jeż kaktus
pohutukawa
In Latin
cactus
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Myrtales
Family
Cactaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Echinopsis
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Trichocereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
200012
1
27800
👆🏻