The Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) is a coastal evergreen tree of the myrtle family that produces a brilliant display of flowers made up of red stamens. It flowers from December to January and is known as the New Zealand Christmas tree.
It is a beautiful sight around our beaches in the summer, clinging to the cliffs and shorelines and a blaze of red flowers. There are regional variations in the shade of red, and now available is a yellow flowering variety.
Everyone loves Pohutukawas: for their colour, their tenacity in the way they cling to cliffs and thrive in a hostile salt laden environment, the way they provide shade along the shoreline, and their heralding of the summer.
3 comments:
WOW!! This is ab-so-lute-ly spectacular! Were you at the beach house this weekend? I am so jealous-- we stayed home with bad coughs, while a snow-and-ice storm raged outside... Conditions are still pretty treacherous out there this morning (Monday), and so I'm keeping my girlies home from school... I think we'll start the Christmas baking!
I'd love to hear more about your Christmases, Mrinz. I've only been in a warm climate for Christmas once-- we were on our honeymoon in the Bahamas, as we were married in mid-December. It felt so strange to me, to be lying on a beach on Christmas Day!! Do you have indoor Christmas trees? Special foods and traditions unique to NZ? My cousins in Australia used to tell me about the Six White Boomers (although I suspect that was more Rolf Harris and less mainstream Christmas Culture!!) They like to surf all day, and then have a bbq on the beach on Dec 25...
Hope you're having a good start to your week, and thanks for all the gorgeous photos.
xo CGF
Hi Candy
Wow it must be bad weather to have to keep the children inside and home from school. I remember when I was in British Columbia that the schools were closed when it was -25 or lower. This happened several times. Unfortunately the teachers had to turn up so we still had to travel the icy roads. It was quite scary actually to be out in -30 temperatures.
No I didn't go to the beach house last weekend, the little Pohutukawa I photographed is growing just down the road from us.
We live close to the beach. I try to go for a walk most days and take the path around the foreshore where there are lots of Pohutukawas growing. This little one is flowering about a week ahead of the others for some reason. The huge (sixty foot)ones are all in bud - it will be spectacular along the path in a few weeks time.
But I am going to the beach house later today and will stay a night as we have some workmen arriving to continue the deck alterations. It is and hour and a half by car away from here - just up the coast.
I will do a 'Christmas Down Under' post later - good idea!
I had a Northern hemisphere Christmas once and that was strange!
Lovely, lovely photos! What beautiful splashes of colour!
I have a confession! When I was in my early 20's, I almost married a guy from NZ just so I could live in that beautiful country of yours! Don't worry...I was naive and stupid, but I came to my senses eventually. I still want to visit NZ one day though!
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