An evergreen New Zealand tree of the myrtle family, which bears crimson flowers in December and January.
Metrosideros excelsa, family Myrtaceae
Also called Christmas tree or in New Zealand
Example sentencesExamples
- An enormous pohutukawa in front of the Greenaways' house was swept down to the harbour in a mudslide, leaving both properties more exposed to the elements, with the Greenaways' home being particularly vulnerable to further erosion.
- In any event there are dozens of stunning beaches along the coast, my favourite being Harataonga for its gnarly pohutukawas, fresh water stream, grassy rolling backdrop and spun-sugar sand.
- It may also be because fewer of the pohutukawas are the native pohutukawas which flower only at Christmas.
- Editorials were written about the wisdom of planting another imported pine over a native pohutukawa.
- When cabbage trees erupt, pohutukawa blaze and the first blowfly of summer sings its siren song, count us out.