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| Category: Tree |
| Family: Myrtaceae (Myrtles) |
| Origin: New Zealand (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Synonyms: [Metrosideros excelsus, M. tomentosa] |
| Height: 20-30 feet |
| Width: 10-15 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Metrosideros excelsa (New Zealand Christmas Tree) - This narrow upright evergreen tree will take full sun and is drought tolerant. Scarlet flowers appear in spring through summer. It can reach up to 20 to 30 feet tall by about 12 to 15 feet wide. It does well in seaside conditions and is hardy to about 25-30 degrees F. Useful for its narrow upright habit. A great street tree in Santa Barbara. Is it M excelsus or M. excelsa: seems that many US sources (Sunset, Hortus) cite the specific epithet as "excelsus" while most British and New Zealand sources (RHS Exncyclopaedia, Flora of New Zealand) use "excelsa". Since this tree hails from New Zealand we follow their spelling of "excelsa". We have grown this plant in bush and tree form off and on since our nursery was extablished in 1979. This plant is availbable from many sources but we no longer grow it.
Information displayed on this page about Metrosideros excelsa is based on the research conducted about it in our library and from reliable online resources. We also note those observations we have made of this plant as it grows in the nursery's garden and in other gardens, as well how crops have performed in our nursery field. We will incorporate comments we receive from others, and welcome to hear from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if they share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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