Metrosideros excelsa
Past favourite plant winner
Common names
pōhutukawa
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Large sprawling mainly coastal tree with leathery oval leaves, bearing masses of red bristly flowers over Christmas. Naturally occurring north of Poverty Bay and north Taranaki, but can be now found as far south as Dunedin. Branches sprawling up to around 20 metres, often with masses of dangling reddish rootlets.
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Yellow
Detailed description
Tree up to 20 m tall with canopy spread of 10–50 m. Specimens typically multi-trunked from base, trunks up to 2 m diameter, branches spreading, and often arching, sometimes looping over ground, and/or bearing “brooms” of aerial adventitious roots. Branchlets numerous, twiggy and long-persistent; young branchlets tomentose, being covered in fine, deciduous, greyish-white hairs. Bark firm, persistent and difficult to detach, often deeply furrowed, grey to grey-brown, somewhat corky. Leaves of all but water shoots leathery, 25–120 × 25–60 mm, elliptic, oblong, rarely lanceolate, apex acute or obtuse, dark olive-green, undersides thickly clad in white tomentum, adaxial surface at first distinctly tomentose but hairs shedding with leaf maturation. Flowers borne on stout, tomentose pedicels crimson, orange, pink, yellow (or very rarely white). Hypanthium obconic, calyx lobes triangular (deltoid).
Similar taxa
In New Zealand it is most frequently confused with the Kermadec pōhutukawa (Metrosideros kermadecensis) which is endemic to Raoul Island (Kermadec Islands). This island endemic differs by the smaller, rounder leaves, and much smaller inflorescences. It also has a tendency to sporadically flower throughout the year and on the New Zealand mainland at least it has a more erect, shrubby growth form, and rarely (if ever) makes a big tree.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island from North Cape to about Pukearuhe, (northern Taranaki) in the west and near Mahia Peninsula (in the east). However, exact southern limit is difficult to ascertain as it has been widely planted and there is evidence that old time Maori cultivated the tree in some southerly areas. Found inland around the Rotorua Lakes and at Lake Taupo—though these occurrences could stem from Maori plantings (though the association of other usually coastal species around these lakes argues against this). Now widely planted throughout the rest of New Zealand (especially around Nelson, the Marlborough Sounds, the Kaikoura Coast and on the west coast to about Hokitika).
Habitat
Coastal forest and on occasion inland around lake margins. Also in the far north occasionally an associate of kauri forest. In some northerly locations it forms forest type in its own right—this forest is dominated by pōhutukawa, other associates often include tawāpou (Planchonella costata), kohekohe (Didymocheton spectabilis), pūriri (Vitex lucens), karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus) and, on rodent-free offshore islands, the frequent presence of coastal maire (Nestegis apetala), and milk tree (Streblus banksii) suggests these species too may once have been important in mainland examples of pōhutukawa forest.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: NO
Threats
Like all New Zealand tree Metrosideros, pōhutukawa is most at risk from possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) browse. These can seriously damage and even kill trees. Often where their browsing occurs within sites of unrestricted stock and vehicle access, pōhutukawa forest is in danger of becoming locally extinct. It does remain common over large parts of its range, a situation being greatly improved by the efforts of people encouraged by the national coordination of Project Crimson—a non profit organisation set up to protect, enhance and/or establish pōhutukawa forest, as well as promote the species use, and its conservation.
Myrtle Rust (Austropuccinia psidii) is an invasive fungus which threatens native myrtle species—learn more myrtlerust.org.nz
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Metrosideros tomentosa Richard
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(August)–November–December–(March)
Fruiting
(January)–March–April–(May)
Propagation technique
Very easy from fresh seed. Seed must be sown fresh, even if left for a few weeks before sowing viability can drop, especially if seed is allowed to dry out. Very difficult from cuttings, though soft wood water shoots give the best results. Can be grafted onto seedlings.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
UPL: Obligate Upland
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Cultivation
Commonly sold by most retail nurseries.
Video story
Project Crimson in Kawhia - TVNZ / DOC Meet the Locals Story.
Etymology
metrosideros: Iron heart
excelsa: Tall
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
METEXC
Chromosome number
2n = 22
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, De
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally At Risk – Regionally Declining | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, NStr
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange (4 January 2004). Description adapted from Allan (1961).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.