Pohutukawa (botanical name Metrosideros excelsa) is New Zealand’s best known and most visible native tree. It is found practically everywhere along the coast of the upper half of the North Island, north of an approximate line from Gisborne to New Plymouth and in isolated areas around Rotorua, Wellington, and the upper South Island. It has also been introduced to parts of Australia, South Africa, and California.
A versatile tree
The tree has a remarkable ability to cling to steep cliffs and slopes and grow in other seemingly impossible places (there’s even a forest of pohutukawa trees on the active volcanic island of White Island in the Bay of Plenty). It is closely related to another native New Zealand tree, the rat.
Translated from Maori, pohutukawa means “sprayed,” which is an obvious reference to the fact that it is usually found along the seashore.
In addition to providing welcome shade for beach lovers in the New Zealand summer, the glow of crimson flowers it produces from November to January has earned the pohutukawa the label ‘New Zealand Christmas Tree’. Certainly, for generations of kiwis, the pohutukawa bloom is one of the great symbols of the Christmas season. In fact, there are several varieties of pohutukawa, producing a range of colored flowers, from scarlet to peach. The tree is also notable for its erratic flowering; different parts of the same tree may bloom at slightly different times.
In recent years, the pohutukawa has been threatened by predators, particularly the opossum. This nocturnal animal was introduced from Australia in the 19th century and has caused great devastation in the forests of New Zealand. As with other trees, the opossum feeds on the leaves of the pohutukawa, stripping it. Great efforts are being made to reduce the number of possums, but they remain a constant threat.
The largest Pohutukawa tree in the world.
In Te Araroa, on the east coast of the North Island, just over 170 km from Gisborne, there is a very special pohutukawa. It is the largest known pohutukawa tree in the world. It measures more than 21 meters in height and at its widest point it is 40 meters in diameter. The tree is called “Te-Waha-O-Rerekohu” by the local Maori and is estimated to be over 350 years old. The name comes from the name of a local chief, Rerekohu, who lived in this area.
This pohutukawa is located on the local school grounds, close to the city beach. It is highly visible from the road and is a ‘must see’ on the East Cape tour from Opotiki to Gisborne. It’s also not far from the East Cape Lookout and Lighthouse, which are at New Zealand’s easternmost point.
Perhaps the best-known pohutukawa tree in New Zealand is found on the cliff edge of the country’s northernmost point, Cape Reinga. This place is of great spiritual importance to the Maori. Known as the “jump place”, this is, according to Maori belief, where when the spirit dies, its journey to Hawaiki, its traditional homeland, begins.
The pohutukawa is not seen much outside of New Zealand. Interestingly, however, a pohutukawa tree is at the center of some controversy, suggesting that Captain Cook may not have been the first European to land in New Zealand. In La Coruña, a coastal city in northwestern Spain, there is a large pohutukawa that locals believe is almost 500 years old. If that’s the case, it predates Cook’s arrival in New Zealand in 1769. However, other experts believe the tree may be only 200 years old.
Whatever its age, the tree has, in fact, become the city’s floral emblem.
Wherever you go in the upper part of the North Island, the pohutukawa is a frequent and distinctive feature of the New Zealand coastline. And if you are here at Christmas, you will see its wonderful flowers.
