Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
New Zealand
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
208
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-1510-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Shell Ginger
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
pohutukawa
In German
Shell Ginger
pohutukawa
In French
Shell Ginger
pohutukawa
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
pohutukawa
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
pohutukawa
In Polish
Shell Imbir
pohutukawa
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Lilopsida
-
Order
Zingiberales
Myrtales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Alpinieae
-
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
-
Number of Species
15012
1
27800
👆🏻