Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Metrosideros excelsa
Common name
New Zealand Christmas Bush, Pohutakawa
Family
Myrtaceae
Where found
Garden escape. Native to the north island of New Zealand, where it occurs on coastal cliffs. Coastal north of Kiama.
Notes
Introduced tree to about 10 m high or more, often multi-stemmed, crown broadly spreading. Branchlets hairy. Leaves opposite each other, 4–10 cm long, 20–50 mm wide, thick, leathery, dark green above, white hairy below, tips pointed or blunt; margins entire. Flowers red, with 4-5 petals, falling early. Stamens numerous, 30–40 mm long. Flowers in many-flowered clusters. Flowers Dec.–Jan. Seed cases about 8 mm wide, hairy, conical to hemispherical.
VICFLORA description: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/68e2d892-e9fb-41f0-b576-da40ece1f1d7 (accessed 2 May 2021)
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