Thank you to “ginger749” on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums for submitting this photograph from Gold Coast, Australia. You can see the original, larger image in this thread. Many thanks – nice to see some late spring flowers from the southern hemisphere!
The story of the species Metrosideros excelsa or PÅhutukawa is doubly sad. Once fairly widespread in coastal areas of the North Island of New Zealand, the population of plants is in decline. This is due in part to a voracious alien, the Australian brushtail possum. Exhaustive details about this and other threats to the native New Zealand Metrosideros species are available from Project Crimson.
Despite its decline in New Zealand, the plant is flourishing in South Africa – so much so that it is now considered an invasive alien; Our Native Plant Invaders from the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture has more on this threat to the fynbos.
The University of Melbourne's Horticulture program had a “Plant of the Month” feature (it seems to be defunct) – it once featured Metrosideros excelsa.
I know the wild pohutukawa up north are in trouble, but it's hard to see them as endangered. They seem to be the most popular tree for city councils all over the country.
This is a prolific grower here along the central coastal areas of California, and seem to bloom year round. I have heard it commonly called "Bottlebrush Tree".
Well, I'd have to agree that this species is widespread in cultivation and, as such, is in no danger of disappearing forever. However, I think it is a fairly easy argument to make that preservation of natural, wild populations is still required.
Bottlebrush is the name usually given to Callistemon species http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottlebrush, which are also quite common garden plants, and have a similarity to New Zealand Christmas bush or tree , the common name of Metrosideros excelsa.
Sheila, the plants you see can't be pohutukawa, if they bloom all year round. The tree is nicknamed 'New Zealand Christmas tree' because it flowers once a year, generally at the height of summer (our Christmas).
'Bottlebrush' is a name normally given to Australian plants, which do have similar flowers, but are not the same genus.
The pohutukawa is a common street tree here in San Francisco. It blooms in December here too. But how is this possible? It is obviously not reacting to heat, light strength, day length, or moisture, and bloom time is not affected by the time it was planted. I know plants have internal clocks, but do they have internal calendars? The only thing I can think of is that it is reacting to the position of the sun in the sky (the sun at noon is at its most southerly position at the December 21 solstice in both hemispheres). Can a plant have north-south polarity? Is it reacting to the earth's electromagnetic fields, and if so, what is the mechanism?
hi its so lusuious
Hey, Can We Get metrosideros excelsa in north queensland australia. moon maiden and scarlet pimpinel and fire mountain? How big do they grow. how resistant are they to harsh weather. arid, hot, lack of water. how far apart shout they be spaced?