Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Herbs
Origin
New Zealand
Europe, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
Types
Metrosideros excelsa
Holy basil-
Number of Varieties
8160
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-129-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
11-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
910.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Crimson
White, Light Pink, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Gray
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Gray
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Gray
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acicular
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Don't prune in the fall, Prune regularly
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
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Dysentry
Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders, Vomiting
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Wood
Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
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, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
METROSIDEROS excelsa
OCIMUM basilicum 'Napoletano'
Common Name
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
Basil
In Hindi
pohutukawa
तुलसी
In German
pohutukawa
Basilikum
In French
pohutukawa
basilic
In Spanish
pohutukawa
albahaca
In Greek
pohutukawa
βασιλικός
In Portuguese
pohutukawa
manjericão
In Polish
pohutukawa
bazylia
In Latin
pohutukawa
ocimum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Lamiales
Family
Myrtaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Metrosideros
Ocimum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Asterids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
12150
1
27800
👆🏻