Metrosideros excelsa - New Zealand Christmas Tree - 150 Seeds

Myrtaceae - no shipment to Western Australia or Tasmania
 
Metrosideros excelsa, commonly known as the New Zealand Christmas Tree or Pohutukawa, is a very hardy, evergreen tree that can grow up to 20m high but more commonly seen as a 6 - 8m specimen in the garden. 
It initially grows as a large rounded shrub, but with age acquires great character - its bark becomes plated and attractive and branches usually develop curtains of long, pendulous aerial roots.

The leaves are 6 - 8cm long and are dark green on top and silvery white beneath.
The attractive flower buds are also a silvery white and set off well the dark green foliage, the flowers of are a mass of showy red stamens in the Summer months particularly around Christmas time when its normally dull canopy of leathery and hair oblong leaves becomes bright red.  The fruits that follow are papery capsules that dry to woody capsules similar to tea trees.

New Zealand Christmas Tree is primarily a coastal tree, but it is very adaptable to other areas, it is very tolerant of coastal exposure and acid conditions and is particularly useful for its coastal tolerances in Australia.

It is frost sensitive when young but hardiness increases with age, it grows well in an open sunny aspect on well drained light loam or sandy soil with a reliable summer water supply and responds well to pruning and can also be hedged or topiarised.

150 premium quality seeds shipped on receipt of cleared funds.