Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
New Zealand
Southeastern Asia
Types
Metrosideros excelsa
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
8200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1210-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
910.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Crimson
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Gray
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Gray
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Gray
Dark Green, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acicular
V-Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
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
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
-
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Dysentry
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Wood
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
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, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
METROSIDEROS excelsa
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
pohutukawa
अरवी
In German
pohutukawa
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
pohutukawa
Colocasia
In Spanish
pohutukawa
Colocasia
In Greek
pohutukawa
Colocasia
In Portuguese
pohutukawa
Colocasia
In Polish
pohutukawa
Kolokazja
In Latin
pohutukawa
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Liliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Arales
Family
Myrtaceae
Araceae
Genus
Metrosideros
Alocasia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
-
Aroideae
Number of Species
1210
1
27800
👆🏻