Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
New Zealand
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, Texas, Canada
Types
Metrosideros excelsa
-
Number of Varieties
825
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-124-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
1, 2, 3, 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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
910.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Crimson
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
Light Yellow, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Green, Orange, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Gray
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Gray
Red, Orange, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Gray
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acicular
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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, Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
-
Irritate the mucus membrane, Rash, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Dysentry
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Wood
Sap
Other Uses
Application in Furniture
Used to make a black varnish for use in woodworking
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
-
Botanical Name
METROSIDEROS excelsa
TOXICODENDRON vernix
Common Name
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
Poison Dogwood, Poison Elderberry, Poison Sumac, Swamp Sumac
In Hindi
pohutukawa
toxicodendron vernix
In German
pohutukawa
toxicodendron vernix
In French
pohutukawa
TOXICODENDRON vernix
In Spanish
pohutukawa
vérnix TOXICODENDRON
In Greek
pohutukawa
Toxicodendron vernix
In Portuguese
pohutukawa
TOXICODENDRON vernix
In Polish
pohutukawa
toxicodendron vernix
In Latin
pohutukawa
Natrum vernix
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Sapindales
Family
Myrtaceae
Anacardiaceae
Genus
Metrosideros
Toxicodendron
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1235
1
27800
👆🏻