Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
New Zealand
North America, South America, Brazil
Types
Metrosideros excelsa
Peanut cactus
Number of Varieties
8128
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
Desert, Sandy areas, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1212-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
12, 13, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
910.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Crimson
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
Green, Orange Red
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
Acicular
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
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
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize in growing season, fertilize in summer, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Mealybugs, Scale
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Skin cuts
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility, Very little waste
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Dysentry
Burns, Heals minor burns, Heart problems, High blood pressure, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Wood
Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
METROSIDEROS excelsa
ECHINOPSIS
Common Name
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
Hedgehog Cactus, Sea urchin cactus
In Hindi
pohutukawa
हाथी कैक्टस
In German
pohutukawa
Igel Kaktus
In French
pohutukawa
hérisson cactus
In Spanish
pohutukawa
cactus de erizo
In Greek
pohutukawa
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος
In Portuguese
pohutukawa
hedgehog cactus
In Polish
pohutukawa
jeż kaktus
In Latin
pohutukawa
cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Caryophyllales
Family
Myrtaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Metrosideros
Echinopsis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Trichocereeae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
122000
1
27800
👆🏻