Metrosideros or Pohutukawa, as an evergreen tree or large shrub, is both a useful screening plant, and a beautifully decorative landscape bush. Its tolerance of drought, pests and disease, make it a must for many gardens in dry, Mediterranean climates.
Metrosideros is the botanical name for a genus of landscape trees and large shrubs known commonly by its Maori name as Pohutukawa, or New Zealand Christmas Tree. As a large evergreen plant, it is ideal for screening purposes, but is also highly ornamental with its fine form, at
ractive, leathery foliage, and showy annual flowers.
Pohutukawa is relatively drought tolerant, thriving on as little as 200mm (8in) of additional irrigation in near desert climates that receive no more than 250mm of rainfall a year. In semi arid Mediterranean climates that receive some 400mm (16in) of annual rainfall, it can get by on less water, but will look better for the occasional deep soaking in the summer.
It is also tolerant of wind and sea spray, is largely unaffected by pests and disease, although it is unsuited to areas that have prolonged frosts and chill. Metrosideros grows well in most soils, including the alkaline ones typical of many dry climates, providing there is reasonable drainage. It is not a plant for the impatient however, as it grows slowly during the first few years. The patient gardener however will be rewarded with a beautiful and dependable landscape plant.
Combinations and Associations
With which trees and bushes does the New Zealand Christmas tree associate comfortably? Its oval-shaped foliage is medium in size and texture and so it fits in well with landscape bushes with similar foliage such as Pittosporum and Viburnum. It is especially good with another New Zealand native – Coprosma repens whose varieties that have variegated or copper leaves, add a gentle contrast to the light-green foliage of the Metrosideros.
Thought should also be given to how the plant combines with trees that are larger than it is, and with low-growing shrubs as well. With this in mind, it combines superbly with tall Eucalypts and with small bushes such as Green Island Ficus, Dwarf Pittosporum, ("Wheeler's Dwarf") and Raphiolepis.
Pohutukawa, as a member of the Myrtle plant family, (Myrtaceae) has flowers with the prominent stamens typical of that botanical family. Therefore, it links up with other Myrtaceae plants like Syzygium, Myrtle, Acmena, and Callistemon.
Metrosideros is so attractive and useful as a screening plant , and is so adaptable to the arid conditions prevailing in Mediterranean climates (excluding very cold areas) that dry climate gardeners can hardly afford to ignore it.
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Jonathan Ya'akobi
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