Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus
Tree
Origin
-
New Zealand
Types
Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
68
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
subtropical regions, Tropical Forests
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
13-1510-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-9
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
-
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Sandy Brown
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
Cylindrical
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Medium
Type of Soil
-
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
-
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Needs very little water
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
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
-
Showy
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Soothing and relieving pain
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Application in Furniture
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
Schlumbergera truncata
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Schlumbergera, false Christmas cactus, Christmas cactus
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Schlumbergera
pohutukawa
In German
Schlumbergera
pohutukawa
In French
Schlumbergera
pohutukawa
In Spanish
Schlumbergera
pohutukawa
In Greek
Schlumbergera
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
Schlumbergera
pohutukawa
In Polish
Schlumbergera
pohutukawa
In Latin
Gymnocalycium
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Myrtales
Family
Cactaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Schlumbergera
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Rhipsalideae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
612
1
27800
👆🏻