# Pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa)

> An iconic sprawling coastal tree to 20 m with a canopy that can spread 10 to 50 m, leathery dark leaves and crimson bottlebrush flowers around Christmas. It clings to sea cliffs and shorelines and is planted throughout New Zealand towns, so much so that its natural southern limit is unclear. Possum browsing and myrtle rust are its main threats; in parts of the South Island and overseas (the Azores, Madeira, South Africa) it naturalises from plantings.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/metrosideros-excelsa · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Pohutukawa, New Zealand Christmas tree
- Family: Myrtaceae
- Type: Broadleaf evergreen
- Mature height: 20 m; spread 20 m
- Growth: Slow growing
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Low water
- Soil: Free-draining sandy, rocky or volcanic coastal soils; tolerates salt spray and wind
- Native range: Endemic to the northern North Island of New Zealand from North Cape to about northern Taranaki and the Mahia Peninsula, plus the Three Kings Islands; widely planted further south.

**Benefits:** Flowers, Birds, Pollinators, Salt tolerant, Drought tolerant, Holds soil, Wildlife

**Good for:** parks, Yard shade, Street tree, Streambanks

**Watch out for:** Large roots, Invasive elsewhere

## Care

Plant small, sheltered by nurse shrubs if exposed, as initial growth is slow; water through the first summer. Tolerates drought, salt and poor soil once established. Prune after flowering only if necessary. Watch for myrtle rust (yellow pustules on new growth) and report it. Aerial roots and wide crowns need space away from paths.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** New Zealand (Endemic to the northern North Island; planted and naturalising elsewhere in NZ)
- **Adapted:** Portugal (Introduced to the Azores and Madeira per WCVP)
- **Invasive:** South Africa (On the NEMBA 2020 national list of invasive species (New Zealand Christmas tree); the gazette text extracted gives no further category qualifier, so check the current list)
- **Recommended:** Los Angeles, CA, United States (On the City Plants (Los Angeles) Street Tree Species List)

## Sources

- https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/metrosideros-excelsa/
- https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/saf220858.pdf
- https://www.gbif.org/species/3185393