Pohutukawa
Metrosideros excelsa
Family: Myrtaceae
What it is like
Metrosideros excelsa is an evergreen Tree growing to 7 m (23ft) by 15 m (49ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 7
Where it is found
Coastal forests in North and Three Kings Islands.
New Zealand.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
An edible nectar is obtained from the flowers.
Nectar: produced in such abundance by some flowers that it can be harvested fairly easily.
Medicine
Rating: 1
Astringent. Used in the treatment of dysentery.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Other
Rating:
Plants can be used as a hedge, succeeding in exposed maritime positions. Wood - dense, compact, heavy, durable, very strong. Used for ship-making, bearings, machine beds etc.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Hedge: Hedge
How it is grown
Prefers a well-drained but moisture-retentive lime-free soil in a sunny position. Plants are somewhat lime-tolerant but are unsuitable for shallow soils over chalk. Very resistant to maritime exposure. This species is not very hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c and succeeding outdoors only in the mildest areas of the country where it makes a small shrub. Plants grow very well on the Isles of Scilly, where they are cut back by cold perhaps once every twenty years. They usually sprout again from their thick branches. A good bee plant. Very ornamental. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse and only just cover the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, in individual pots in a frame. Good percentage.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Hedge;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist