Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Tree
Origin
Northwestern United States, Canada
New Zealand
Types
-
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
68
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland, Moist Soils, Swamps
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-710-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Pyramidal
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,520.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sienna
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, Bronze
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Scale-like imbricate
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Hardwood Cuttings, Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of moisture in the growing season, when new, water every week
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, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
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
Armillaria root rot, Bark beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma, contact allergic dermatitis, Urticaria
-
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
Bronchitis, Cold, Cough, Fever, Sore throat
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Inner Bark, Leaves, Wood
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Dugout canoes, Making deodorants, Medicinal oil, Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods, Used as an insecticide, Used to make baskets
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening / Wind Break
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
THUJA plicata
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Giant Arborvitae, Green Giant Arborvitae, Western Arborvitae, Western Red Cedar
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Pacific redcedar
pohutukawa
In German
Riesen-Lebensbaum
pohutukawa
In French
Thuja plicata
pohutukawa
In Spanish
Thuja plicata
pohutukawa
In Greek
Thuja plicata
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
Thuja plicata
pohutukawa
In Polish
Żywotnik olbrzymi
pohutukawa
In Latin
Thuja plicata
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Pinophyta
-
Class
Pinopsida
-
Order
Pinales
Myrtales
Family
Cupressaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Thuja
Metrosideros
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1512
1
27800
👆🏻