pohutukawa uses

Pohutukawa often features on festive greetings cards, poems and stories. As well as a cultural symbol, the species has several practical uses. Its hard strong timber was used for ship-building, and parts of the tree were also used medicinally by the Maori.

Are pohutukawa flowers edible?

The swollen flower around the black seed is very pleasant to eat in summer and early autumn, when it is very sweet and juicy. With any plants, don't ever try to eat or use any part of them unless you are very sure they are safe. Maori knew far more about them than we do and even they made some tragic mistakes.

What is the significance of pohutukawa for Maori?

Pohutukawa and its cousin rata also hold a prominent place in Maori tradition. Legends tell of Tawhaki, a young Maori warrior, who attempted to find heaven to seek help in avenging the death of his father. He fell to earth and the crimson flowers are said to represent his blood.

Is pohutukawa a hardwood?

Pohutukawa is a native New Zealand hardwood – similar to manuka tea tree.

What does pohutukawa smell like?

“Pohutukawa seed has a most glorious fragrance,” Terry enthuses, “like richest, thick honey. It would make a wonderful perfume.” But it has a downside, too. “Put a sheet on the ground and tap the branches with a stick in April or May to collect seed, and stand clear! The seed is very fine and acts like itching powder.

Is pohutukawa native to NZ?

Pōhutukawa and rātā are known as New Zealand's native Christmas tree because of the bright red blooms which decorate the trees during the Christmas season. They trigger memories of long summer days spent with friends and family in, on, around and under these magnificent trees.

Can you grow pohutukawa from cuttings?

Growing from cuttings ensures the tree is more advanced in its development at the time of planting and is a genetic duplicate of the parent tree. However, it can be difficult to 'strike' cuttings. It is therefore advisable to use the 'aerial rooting' technique for taking pohutukawa and rata cuttings.

What does pohutukawa mean in English?

pōhutukawa. 1. (noun) pōhutukawa, New Zealand Christmas tree, Metrosideros excelsa, Metrosideros kermadecensis, Metrosideros bartlettii - trees found in coastal areas which bear large, red flowers about Christmas time and have leaves which are velvety-white underneath.

What is the English name for pohutukawa?

Metrosideros excelsa, with common names pohutukawa (Māori: pōhutukawa), New Zealand Christmas tree, New Zealand Christmas bush, and iron tree, is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red (or occasionally orange, yellow or white) flowers made up of a mass of ...

How old is the pohutukawa tree?

Possibly the most famous pōhutukawa in Maori legend is a small, wind-beaten tree clinging to the cliff face near Cape Reinga. The 800-year-old tree is reputed to guard the entrance to a sacred cave through which disembodied spirits pass on their way to the next world.

Is pohutukawa protected?

Pōhutukawa are native to New Zealand and in many parts of the country, they may be protected and therefore require special permission to remove – even to simply prune.

Do pohutukawa trees flower every year?

Yes, you will get flowers over months, but you only get a few flowers at any one time and the whole thing about the pohutukawa is that beautiful mass of bloom around Christmas.

Is there a yellow pohutukawa?

Pohutukawa are native to New Zealand and are part of the myrtle family. Yellow pohutukawa or 'Metrosideros excelsa Aurea' trees are found in several commercial and garden nurseries. All the trees are believed to be descended from a pair discovered in 1940 on Mōtiti Island in the Bay of Plenty.

What is the difference between pohutukawa and rata?

Southern rata is on the left and pohutukawa on the right. Note that the southern rata has dark green pointed leaves and that pohutukawa has shorter rounded leaves that have a whitish velvety texture on the underside. Pohutukawa tends also to have more stamens and as a result denser and more prolific flowers.

What is the New Zealand Christmas tree called?

The pohutukawa tree (Metrosideros excelsa) with its crimson flower has become an established part of the New Zealand Christmas tradition. This iconic Kiwi Christmas tree, which often features on greeting cards and in poems and songs, has become an important symbol for New Zealanders at home and abroad.

How fast do pohutukawa trees grow?

In a very fertile environment with good moisture and plenty of room, young pohutukawa grow very quickly (at around 30cm per year in height and 5-10cm in diameter), often having quite a bushy form due to multi stems and vigorous lower stem growth, whereas older trees gain around 10cm in height a year and 2mm in diameter ...

When should I take cuttings?

Time it right

If you want to take cuttings from a parent plant, such as a salvia, early spring is usually the best time to do it. It's an easy and satisfying way to increase your stock of plants. It's always best to take cuttings early in the morning, when the parent plant is still turgid, i.e. full of water.

Can you grow natives from cuttings?

Taking cuttings of plants is a great way of ensuring you get an exact copy of the plant you're propagating, and Jane shows us how to do it with some of our favourite native plants. ... When taking cuttings, avoid the hard, older material and the soft new growth and go for firm stems from this season's growth.

How do you take cuttings from natives?

Take the first cutting just below a leaf node (the point where the leaf connects to the stem). The cutting should be around four fingers long. Remove around 2/3 of the leaves from the cutting, leaving a couple at the top. You can chop or pinch them off, depending on the plant.

How do you pronounce pohutukawa?

Phonetic spelling of pohutukawa

Poe-who-ta-car-w. 1 rating rating ratings. by wppuser.
po-hutukawa. 0 rating rating ratings. by wppuser.
po-hutukawa. 0 rating rating ratings. by Fyrhthe.
po-hu-tukawa. 0 rating rating ratings. by Hattie Stark.
Po-hu-ta-ka-wa. 0 rating rating ratings. by Caitlyn.

What is pohutukawa matariki?

Pohutukawa is the star that connects Matariki to the deceased and is the reason people would cry out the names of the dead and weep when Matariki was seen rising in the early morning.” ... It is through Pohutukawa that Māori remember those who have died in the past year.

Are all New Zealand native trees Evergreen?

Most New Zealand native trees are evergreen. Mother Nature understood that to survive our climate; their best bet was to be evergreen trees. This resulted in most natives having weather resistant small leaves or needles which were not damaged during cold weather.