Pohutukawa

Did you know

• Known as 'the New Zealand Christmas tree,' the pohutukawa bursts into crimson bloom every December—exactly during the southern hemisphere summer holiday season.
• Maori legend says the brilliant red flowers represent the blood of Tawhaki, a young warrior who fell from the heavens trying to find his lost lover among the stars.
• A single pohutukawa at Te Reinga on New Zealand's North Island is over 800 years old—Maori believe its roots are the gateway through which spirits depart for the afterworld.
• The trees grow on cliffs and sea shores—their gnarled trunks lean out over the Pacific, sending aerial roots downward to grip wave-swept rocks.
• The wood is incredibly dense and rot-resistant—Maori carved it into ceremonial weapons, and early colonial shipbuilders used it for curved boat ribs that lasted lifetimes.

Color meanings

Uses

• Coastal landscaping
• Specimen tree
• Cultural symbol
• Wind break