Stylised illustration of the Baily Lighthouse, Howth Earlscliffe Howth, Co. Dublin
Metrosideros excelsa

Metrosideros excelsa

New Zealand Christmas tree

Plant type: treeRegion: Southern HemisphereRHS hardiness level: H2Conservation: Not Assessed
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Metrosideros excelsa

Metrosideros excelsa

Background and story

The New Zealand Christmas Tree (Metrosideros excelsa or pōhutukawa) is an evergreen coastal tree native to New Zealand, where it grows on cliffs and shorelines, often clinging to rocky outcrops and exposed sites.

It is renowned for its brilliant red, brush-like flowers, composed of dense clusters of stamens, which can cover the canopy in summer, giving rise to its common name.

The tree typically develops a broad, spreading crown with leathery, dark green leaves, often pale beneath, and in maturity can produce aerial roots along its trunk and branches.

It is of major cultural significance in New Zealand and is widely planted there as both an ornamental and ecological species.

Did you know?

It is New Zealand’s “Christmas tree”, but because Christmas falls in summer. The common name comes from its spectacular red flowering around Christmas time in New Zealand, especially along northern coastal areas. DOC describes the blazing red flowers around Christmas as the reason for this title.

Hardiness and conservation

The recorded RHS hardiness rating is H2, which means this plant can tolerate cool conditions, but not frost. In practice, it should be treated as frost-tender outdoors. The recorded USDA/PFAF hardiness value is 7-10, which is useful as a broad winter-temperature guide, but it should not be read as a direct substitute for the RHS rating. Local hardiness always depends on local shelter, drainage, winter wet, salt-laden wind and the plant’s age and establishment.

The IUCN Red List status recorded here is Not Assessed (NA).

Additional notes for Ireland and Britain

In Ireland and Britain, Metrosideros excelsa is very limited in its outdoor potential, surviving only in the mildest, frost-free coastal microclimates such as the Isles of Scilly, western Cornwall, or exceptionally sheltered sites in southern Ireland. It requires full sun, excellent drainage, and protection from cold winds, and even in ideal situations it remains somewhat unreliable. In suitable conditions it can grow into a small to medium-sized tree, though it rarely approaches its full size outside New Zealand. More commonly, it is grown in containers or under glass, where its flowering can still be enjoyed without the risk of frost damage.

From a conservation and hardiness perspective, Metrosideros excelsa is not considered globally threatened, though in New Zealand it faces pressures from habitat change and introduced pests, notably browsing animals that have historically damaged wild populations. In terms of hardiness, it is classified as RHS H2, meaning it is not frost hardy and tolerates temperatures only down to around 1–5°C, making it unsuitable for most outdoor conditions in Ireland and Britain. Its main limitations are frost and winter exposure, rather than wind or drought, as it is otherwise well adapted to coastal conditions. In an Irish context, it remains an aspirational and highly site-specific plant, successful only where climate and shelter closely resemble its native maritime environment.


Notable features

  • It is a cliff-hanging tree. Pōhutukawa is famous for surviving on exposed coastal cliffs, headlands and bare rock. The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network describes it as a mainly coastal tree of headlands and cliffs, often with sprawling branches and dangling reddish rootlets.
  • The flowers are mostly stamens, not petals. The red “brush” effect is produced by long, colourful stamens. World Flora Online describes the flowers as having stamens around 3–3.8 cm long, while Landcare records stamens of 30–40 mm.
  • It has a major place in Māori tradition. DOC says pōhutukawa and rātā hold a prominent place in Māori mythology, including the story of Tāwhaki, whose blood is said in legend to be represented by the crimson flowers.
  • It is botanically an island specialist. Kew lists Metrosideros excelsa as native to New Zealand’s North Island, where it grows mainly in subtropical habitats. It is part of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, the same family as eucalyptus, myrtle and bottlebrushes.
  • From a conservation point of view, although not nationally threatened, pōhutukawa can be locally vulnerable to possum browse, stock and vehicle damage, and myrtle rust.
  • Its timing made it a national symbol of summer holidays. Pōhutukawa is bound up with New Zealand beach culture because it flowers just as people head to the coast for Christmas and summer. That is why descriptions of it often combine botany, beaches, shade, family picnics and national identity. DOC explicitly links the tree’s Christmas flowering with its popular name.

Earlscliffe notes

David Robinson planted both Metrosideros excelsa and M. robusta at Earlscliffe. We now wonder whether the two plants may have been confused at some point. One of them was killed during the severe winter of 2010/11, while the surviving plant was labelled as M. robusta.

However, one useful way to distinguish the two species is by looking at the leaf tip. M. robusta usually has a distinct notch at the end of the leaf, whereas M. excelsa has leaf tips that are pointed or rounded, but not notched. The surviving specimen at Earlscliffe has pointed to rounded leaf tips, which suggests that it is M. excelsa rather than M. robusta.

Where to see it in the garden

Tour Area ❷

Sources and further reading

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