Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
New Zealand
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Nepal
Types
Metrosideros excelsa
Rubber Plant, Rubber Fig
Number of Varieties
860
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
agricultural areas, Along Railroads, Coastal Regions, Forests, Roadsides, Scrubs, Suburban areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1210-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
910.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Crimson
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Gray
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Gray
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Gray
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acicular
Elliptic to oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
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
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of 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, 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
Prune for shortening long shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
don't fertilize in winter
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Mealybugs, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Yellow Leaves
Plant Tolerance
Drought
-
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
Asthma, breathing problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Dysentry
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Wood
Latex
Other Uses
Application in Furniture
Making rubber, Making tyres
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
METROSIDEROS excelsa
FICUS elastica
Common Name
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
Rubber Plant
In Hindi
pohutukawa
रबड़ का पौधा
In German
pohutukawa
Ficus elastica
In French
pohutukawa
Ficus elastica
In Spanish
pohutukawa
ficus
In Greek
pohutukawa
ελαστικός φίκος
In Portuguese
pohutukawa
fábrica de borracha
In Polish
pohutukawa
gumy roślin
In Latin
pohutukawa
Flexilis herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Rosales
Family
Myrtaceae
Moraceae
Genus
Metrosideros
Ficus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Ficeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
12800
1
27800
👆🏻