Metrosideros excelsa
Sol. ex Gaertn.
Pohutukawa
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(c) gillbsydney, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Nectar
An edible nectar is obtained from the flowers.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows in coastal forest in the North Island of New Zealand.
Australia, New Zealand*, Norfolk Island, Tasmania,
How to Identify
A tree. It is wide spreading. The leaves are round and leathery. The flowers are large.
How to Grow
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.
Propagation: Sow seed in spring in a warm greenhouse, barely covering it. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle and grow on under glass for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts, and provide frost protection for at least the first winter outdoors. Take cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7–10cm with a heel, and root in individual pots in a frame. Good success rate.
Medicinal Uses
Astringent. Used in the treatment of dysentery.
Other Uses
Plants can be used as a hedge, performing well in exposed maritime positions. The wood is dense, compact, heavy, durable, and very strong, and is used for ship-making, bearings, and machine beds.
Wikipedia
Source ↗An evergreen tree reaching 7 m tall by 15 m wide, hardy to UK zone 8 but frost-tender. It remains in leaf year-round and flowers July to August. Bee-pollinated hermaphrodite flowers attract wildlife. The tree thrives in light, medium, or heavy well-drained soils across pH ranges, requires full sun, prefers moist soil, and tolerates maritime exposure.
Names & Synonyms
References (4)
- Crowe, A., 1997, A Field Guide to the Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Penguin. p 45
- Fruct. sem. pl. 1:172, t. 34, fig. 8. 1788
- Kew Plants of the World Online
- Lavelle, M., 2008, Wild Flowers of Australia and Oceania. Southwater. p 71
