Pohutukawa, Metrosideros excelsa

Adult size: Up to 20m high with a 35m crown

Description: One of our most vibrant natives with an annual spray of bright red flowers, a sprawling tree that crawls over rocks and down the sides of cliffs, amazingly resilient

The pohutukawa, along with its close cousin the rata, are often fondly referred to as New Zealand's very own native Christmas tree, for their superb show of colour during the summer season.

They are part of the Myrtaceae family which includes eucalyptus, feijoas and guavas, manuka and kanuka, so it’s quite a large and diverse group.

If you are planning to plant pohutukawa, you will need room – lots of it. These trees spread out, with sprawling trunks and even larger crowns. You don’t want to place them near fences, your home, sheds, water pipes or septic tanks.

The time of year you plant a young pohutukawa is important. Autumn and winter are preferred because this gives the root system a chance to develop before the foliage comes away in spring – important growth for a tree that will come to depend very heavily on its roots in later years.

If your area is prone to frost, spring becomes the alternative planting time because the delicate foliage of the young pohutukawa won’t survive the burn of a frost.

If you’re lucky enough to be planting in a coastal area then Project Crimson, a non-profit group set up to help the development of the pohutukawa and rata, advise planning ahead. Before you plant any pohutukawa, plant a semi-circle of flax and ngaio on the windy side, fence the area (ngaio is poisonous stock), leaving room for your pohutukawa, and then wait. You might need to give it two years or more, until the plants are 2m high or more before planting your pohutukawa.

In remote sights, mulching can be a problem but this is where grasses, even the thick and smothering kikuyu can be your friend, helping to protect the tree from the elements.

While pohutukawa can survive in pretty dire situations, when you plant seedlings plan to water them through summer. This will help your first year survival rate no end.

Project Crimson have prepared a list of frequently asked questions for anyone contemplating planting pohutukawa (or rata).