The Plant Company grows and sells thousands of Pohutukawa plants throughout NZ. We pride ourselves on producing high quality plants and seeing the joy from our customers when they receive them. Explore our range and the expert advice articles which have been produced by experienced gardeners and nurseryman. These articles cover key questions about growing Pohutukawa successfully.
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NZ’s Christmas Tree is the breathtaking Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa). This large, evergreen tree is native to New Zealand and is known for its beautiful, bright red flowers at Christmas. It is a popular tree for planting in gardens and parks, and symbolises Christmas in New Zealand.
The Pohutukawa tree is a significant tree in Māori culture. It is a sacred tree and is associated with life, death, and rebirth. The pohutukawa tree is also a symbol of strength and resilience.
The pohutukawa tree is also a popular symbol of New Zealand culture. It is featured on the New Zealand flag, and it is often used in New Zealand art and literature. The pohutukawa tree is also a popular subject for New Zealand photographers.
The best time to see Pohutukawa flowers in bloom is in the summer, from December to January. However, the exact timing of the flowering season will vary depending on the region.
The English name for the pohutukawa tree is New Zealand Christmas tree, due to its bright red flowers that bloom during the Christmas season. It is also known as the pohutukawa, iron tree, Metrosideros excelsa, and Southern rata.
It is a large, evergreen tree that is native to New Zealand and is found along the coast and in coastal forests. It is a popular ornamental tree and is also a significant tree in Māori culture.
Pohutukawa and Rata attract a good range of NZ native birds. Importantly, Tui, Bellbirds, and Kaka all benefit from Pohutukawa flowers and seeds. Bees, bats, and native lizards will also feed on the nectar during flowering.
Pohutukawa flowers are most commonly known for their vibrant red flowers, earning them the nickname the "New Zealand Christmas tree" as they bloom around Christmas. However, there are different colour variations that can be found, including apricot, salmon, yellow, and pink. These variations are not common, but can be found on different varieties such as Metrosideros Aurea.
Planting Pohutukawa and getting them to grow well is generally easy when you get a few of the basics right. This involves planting them in the right soil type, choosing the most ideal planting position, selecting the best variety, and ensuring the plants have the essentials to thrive. The Plant Company has the right advice to ensure success when you are growing a Pohutukawa whether as standalone plants or as a hedge.
Choose a full sun or partial shade position with good drainage for your Pohutukawa plant. The hole should be dug to at least 50-75% deeper and wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. A planting spade makes the hole digging a lot easier. The Plant Company recommends incorporating compost or sheep pellets into the soil to provide additional organic material, but this is not essential. Do not put fertiliser in the bottom of the hole, rather spread that on the soil surface after planting, and preferably do this when the plant is actively growing in spring.
Remove the plant from the container it is growing in by either pulling it free or by cutting the bag. We recommend cutting the bag or container, especially for larger grade plants, to minimise any chance of damaging the roots. If the roots have been growing in a circle or are all bound up you can tease them apart if you want but this is not essential. Similarly, you don’t need to remove any of the growing media. The Plant Company does not recommend cutting the roots, even if the plant is root-bound as this offers no benefit. This is explained in our article, Managing Rootbound Plants.
Now place the plant in the hole and make sure it is level with the soil surface before filling in around it. If it is above the soil surface, dig more out. If it is below, put in more soil and retest the level. Once the plant is set level with the soil surface, add more soil gradually and firm it around the plant using gentle pressure as you go. Scatter Native Plant Fertiliser across the soil surface after planting and the give the plant a good watering.
Choose a full sun position for your Pohutukawa. The hole should be dug to at least 50-75% deeper and wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. The Plant Company recommends incorporating compost or sheep pellets into the soil to provide additional organic material, but this is not essential. Do not put fertiliser in the bottom of the hole, rather spread Native Plant Fertiliser on the soil surface after planting, and preferably do this when the plant is actively growing in spring.
The Plant Company has produced specific articles to help you grow amazing Pohutukawa: How To Plant A Pohutukawa, How To Trim A Pohutukawa, Best Fertiliser For Pohutukawa, When To Water Pohutukawa, How To Mulch Around Pohutukawa, and Pohutukawa Issues And Troubleshooting.
A full sun position with good drainage and some shelter is essential for getting the best results with Pohutukawa. In shaded conditions they tend to become “stretched” as the branches extend to chase light, and they become less dense with less prolific flowering. On poorly drained soils they will struggle and may die a slow death. The planting position should also be moderately sheltered which will help with establishment and the overall plant shape. The Plant Company recommends staking trees to offer support and to reduce any chance of wind damage.
The Plant Company has produced a suite of articles about growing and looking after Pohutukawa to help you get fantastic results.
[Pohutukawa trees] are slow growing, but they can live for hundreds of years. In ideal conditions, a pohutukawa tree can grow up to 2 metres tall in its first 5 years. However, their growth rate can be slowed down by factors such as poor soil quality, lack of sunlight, and pests and diseases.
To encourage faster growth, plant your tree in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Water regularly, especially during the first year after planting. Fertilize in the spring and summer with native plant fertiliser. If you are patient, you can expect your pohutukawa tree to grow into a beautiful and majestic tree in just a few decades.
Pohutukawa are generally regarded being of medium to high vigour. A healthy Pohutukawa should more than double in size each year until it reaches maturity if grown in the correct conditions. Be sure to start with strong and healthy plants at the outset as a sickly plant can take a lot of time to recover. This can be particularly important if you are growing a hedge, as poorly plants will likely result in an uneven hedge. Our article, What To Consider When Buying Pohutukawa provides sound advice on this subject.
Pohutukawa look amazing when grown in pots and managed appropriately. Metrosideros Tahiti, Metrosideros Dalese, and Metrosideros Vibrance are commonly used for this purpose.
To grow a Pohutukawa in a pot, choose a pot that is no less than twice the size of what the Pohutukawa is currently growing in and that has plenty of drainage holes in the bottom. Fill the bottom of the pot to about 1/3 of the way up with potting mix. Do not use soil or compost when growing plants in a container and do not add fertiliser. The Plant Company potting mix has all the nutrients required to sustain the plant for the next 12 months.
Remove the plant from the container it is growing in by either pulling it free or by cutting the bag. We recommend cutting the bag, especially for larger grade plants, to minimise any chance of damaging the roots. Place the plant in the hole without removing any of the growing media or cutting the roots. You can tease them apart if you want but this is not essential. If the roots have been circling the inside of the pot or they look totally root bound, you don’t need to cut them (refer to, Managing Rootbound Plants, for why we don’t cut them). Add more potting mix and firm this around the plant using gentle pressure, then water well. They should be watered twice a week during hot weather and weekly or fortnightly during cooler periods.
The key to having an amazing Pohutukawa in a pot is to both keep it fed correctly (see article Best Fertiliser For Pohutukawa Grown In A Container) and not to over-water it. Over-watering is the most common reason Pohutukawa fail.
Pohutukawa can cope with coastal environments and salt spray. However, if the soil is too saline, this can prove detrimental to the plants and result in them becoming stunted and not performing. If you elect to plant in this environment, The Plant Company recommends ensuring the soil is well prepared with organic matter such as compost, and water regularly during dry periods, especially while the plant is establishing.
Soils rich in fertility and organic matter that are well-drained will grow an amazing Pohutukawa. plants. The soil should be well prepared with either compost or sheep pellets mixed in at planting or spread on the soil surface after planting. It is important that the soil being planted into won’t restrict root growth and for this reason, clay soils are not well suited to Pohutukawa. Clay soils also tend to be very wet which will negatively impact the performance of the plant, and can ultimately result in plant death. The Plant Company recommends that poor draining or clay soils be avoided for Pohutukawa.
Feeding your Pohutukawa in spring with Native Plant Fertiliser will replenish nutrients and keep them fed for 12 months. Liberal amounts of organic fertiliser can also be used. Do ensure that plants are watered regularly during dry periods to keep them flourishing.
Only potting mix should be used when Pohutukawa are grown in a container. Often people will try and cut corners and use soil or mixes that contain both soil and potting mix with poor results. The same applies to when plants are potted up with compost as it holds too much moisture. Soil also contains weeds and tends to become compacted in a container, hence why it is not used in this manner. The Plant Company has nursery grade potting media which is pre-loaded with the correct amounts of fertiliser and micro-nutrients to keep the plant sustained with nutrition and actively growing for the next 12-months. After 12-months, simply add a couple fertiliser tablets to keep the plant fed for the next 12-months.
The answer to this question depends on how much shade. In shaded conditions Pohutukawa tend to become “stretched” as the branches extend to chase light and flowering performance diminishes. In full sun they tend to be more compact with better leaf colouring and flower performance. That said, Pohutukawa will grow well with just 4-5 hours of direct sun during the day, or with large amounts of dappled light.
Please note that a Pohutukawa hedge that extends under a large tree or through a shaded area will generally differ in the colouring when compared to other areas in full sun.
Pohutukawa are best planted any time from mid-autumn until late spring. During this time, they can cope with the stresses associated with planting (root damage mainly) more easily than if they have to also cope with heat and moisture stress as well. They can be planted in summer provided they are well-watered and the roots have plenty of growing media attached when planted. If watering is a challenge, The Plant Company advises planting any time from late-autumn through until early-spring. Make sure you have a good planting spade to make this job a lot easier.
Placing mulch around Pohutukawa helps keep the soil moist and significantly reduces weeds. The Plant Company recommends an organic mulch is used as this breaks down over time to provide nutrients and improves the soil. It is also better for the environment than the plastic-based alternatives. Whatever type of mulch is used, it needs to be free draining so the soil can “breathe” and allow water to penetrate quickly and easily. Heavy rates of lawn clippings are therefore not a good option as they hold too much moisture. The Plant Company has three very good options for mulch. The first is coco fibre matting which is made from the husks of coconuts. The second is Earth Mat which is made from recycled paper. Both of these break down to become part of the soil within two years. The third is black plastic matting which will last 20 years or more. Whichever mulch is used, The Plant Company recommends stones, bark chip, or other similar products be spread over top for aesthetic purposes.
Bark chips or shredded bark makes for an effective mulch provided it is laid thick. A minimum of 6 cm is required to effectively suppress weeds. However, over time this mulch will decompose, so it will need to be topped up every year to continue being effective.
Compost is not considered an effective mulch as weeds germinate easily and it is only short lasting. It is, however, a very good method of adding organic matter to the soil and should be applied before the mulch is put down.
Pohutukawa are very easy to grow, but you need to have the basics right. Choose a sunny spot and prepare the soil by adding compost or sheep pellets. Feeding your plants in spring with Native Plant Fertiliser will replenish nutrients and keep them fed for 12 months. They should also be watered regularly during dry periods to keep them flourishing. The Plant Company has produced a suite of articles that covers everything you need to know about growing Pohutukawa.
Pohutukawa varieties differ in their mature heights. Some will grow to just 30 cm tall and others to 40 m or more! The Plant Company has put a lot of effort into determining how big each plant will grow in an unrestricted growing environment. Far too often we see people planting a garden too densely and then having to spend a lot of time trimming or removing plants later. This is something we want our customers to avoid and we therefore provide size information so the planning can be right from the start. Be sure to check out our Pohutukawa varieties and the detailed information that accompanies both this, and our other plants.
Most Pohutukawa can tolerate light frost once established, but you need to be careful. The low growing plants such as Metrosideros Tahiti and Metrosideros carminea will be injured by a moderate frost, and are more susceptible to damage when they are young. Similarly, Metrosideros Maori Princess and Metrosideros Mistral can generally tolerate moderate frost once they are taller than 50 cm.
Frost Cloth is a good option for protecting vulnerable plants if you are worried. Be careful to harden off recently purchased plants if you intend to plant these during winter and frosts are likely. Do this by gradually exposing them to the cooler conditions over a 2-3 week period or until such time as you think that a frost won’t damage them. The Plant Company recommends holding off planting until spring if you are at all worried that new plants might get frosted.
The best specimen tree among our Pohutukawa varieties is Metrosideros Maori Princess. This variety is popular with landscape designers due to its prolific flowering, fantastic form, quick growth, and great aesthetics. It is closely followed by Metrosideros Mistral.
Pohutukawa do not grow well on wet or heavy soils, including clay soils. In such circumstances, they are likely to die a slow death. In these environments the plants are likely to succumb to the root rot disease, Phytophthora. The article, Why Is My Pohutukawa Dying? affords more information on this disease. You might find articles, How To Test If My Soil Is Poorly Drained and Fixing Poor Drainage On A Clay Soil useful.
Pohutukawa trees do have invasive roots when compared to most other tree species. The roots will quicky grow into soil drainage lines and mature Southern Rata trees can lift concrete paths. Metrosideros excelsa varieties such as Metrosideros Maori Princess tend to be relatively less invasive, however.
Pohutukawa owe their popularity to not just their great aesthetics, but also to their versatility and ability to cope where other plants would struggle. Some common uses and popular varieties include:
Please be aware that Pohutukawa trees have root systems that can lift concrete as they mature and grow into drainage pipes. The Plant Company therefore advises planting them at least 15 m away from anything that could be impacted.
A wide range of plants can be grown with Pohutukawa. The Plant Company often recommends using other plant colours and textures to add variety and interest. Such plants include Lomandra, Astelia, Phormium, Westringia, Libertia, Dianella, and Coprosmas. When they are grown in pots, The Plant Company will often have Dichondra Silver Falls trailing from the sides.
The most important part starts with planting, and our article, How To Plant A Pohutukawa, provides sound advice on how to do this properly. So, let’s now assume your plant is growing well and you want to keep it that way!
Winter is the perfect time for mulching your plants. Organic matter such as compost or sheep pellets should be spread liberally around the plants and then overlaid with mulch. The Plant Company has three very good options for mulch. The first is coco fibre matting which is made from the husks of coconuts. The second is Earth Mat which is made from recycled paper. Both of these break down to become part of the soil within two years. The third is black plastic matting which will last 20 years or more. Whichever mulch is used, The Plant Company recommends stones, bark chip, or other similar products be spread over top for aesthetic purposes. The Plant Company does not recommend adding fertiliser during winter as this is better applied in spring so less is wasted. However, adding organic matter such as compost is quite okay.
Spring is the perfect time for fertilising the plants as they start to bounce into life. The Plant Company has fertilisers which have been specially blended for different plants and in this instance, our Native Plant Fertiliser will give them the correct boost and keep them fed for 12-months. A suitable alternative is our organic fertiliser which will also keep them well fed but they will require a secondary application in autumn.
Summer is when the plants need regular watering and this should be undertaken every second or third day on the hottest days. Plants that are establishing need particular attention as their root system will not have penetrated deep enough to secure consistent moisture yet.
Caring for Pohutukawa in autumn is about keeping the plants healthy. Foliar feeding using a liquid fertiliser can be undertaken during spring, summer, and autumn if you have time but this is not essential if solid fertiliser and/or good amounts of organic matter have already been applied. If you think the plants need an extra boost or have some yellowing, however, a liquid fertiliser won’t hurt.
Plants should be checked for pest or disease issues during each season. If anything is looking a little bit unusual, refer to our articles under Pohutukawa Issues And Troubleshooting.
Caring for a Pohutukawa hedge has several key elements to ensure the hedge grows healthily and looks amazing. The most important part starts with planting, and our article, [How To Plant Pohutukawa], provides sound advice on how to do this properly. So, let’s now assume your plant is growing well and you want to keep it that way!
Pohutukawa require feeding to keep them growing optimally. The Plant Company’s Native Fertiliser has been blended to give plants the boost they need and then sustained nutrition for the next 12 months. We recommend the fertiliser is applied to the soil surface in spring just as the plants start to grow actively. More importantly, we advise that no fertiliser is placed in the hole at planting, but rather spread around the soil surface so it can wash through the roots as it releases. The Plant Company’s Native Fertiliser ensures that nutrients remain in the soil around the plant rather than being lost through the soil profile to where the plant cannot reach it. This also applies to plants grown on sandy soils. The Plant Company’s Native Fertiliser is therefore very environmentally friendly and longer lasting than most other products in the market.
Foliar feeding using a liquid fertiliser can be undertaken if you have time but this is not essential if Native Plant Fertiliser has been applied. If you think the plants need an extra boost or have some yellowing, however, a liquid fertiliser application won’t hurt. A great benefit of foliar feeding is that it helps keep the leaves strong and lush.
Pohutukawa grown in containers require different fertiliser to those grown outdoors in soil. In this instance, the correct fertiliser to use is either container plant fertiliser or fertiliser tablets. Each of these will provide safe, sustained, and complete nutrition to the plant for the next 12-months. Using other types of fertilisers can be detrimental to the plant and may result in plant injury or death.
Foliar feeding using a liquid fertiliser can be undertaken if you have time but this is not essential if container plant fertiliser or fertiliser tablets have been used. If you think the plant needs an extra boost or has some yellowing, however, a liquid fertiliser application won’t hurt. A great benefit of foliar feeding is that it helps keep the leaves strong and lush as the nutrition is right where the plant needs it.
The soil pH refers to how acid of alkaline the soil is. Pohutukawa prefer a soil pH within the range of 6.5 to 7.5 which means they can tolerate both slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soils. As the pH of the soil moves away from this optimum range, the nutrients the plant is taking up (or not taking up) through the roots changes. If the shift in pH is too far, this can result in deficiencies of some nutrients and toxic levels of others. In either case this can cause the plant to become sick or even die a slow death.
The best way to know whether the pH is correct for your plant is to do a test. The Plant Company has pH test kits available that are easy to use and only take a few minutes to get a result. Preferably this test should be completed before planting so any pH issues can be corrected without risking the plant. A pH less 5.5 should have sparing amounts of dolomite lime applied along with Native Plant Fertiliser. A pH above 6.8 should have small amounts of soil acidifying fertiliser applied. In both instances the fertiliser should be thoroughly mixed into the soil before planting. A retest of the soil pH should be undertaken after four weeks and small adjustments made again. If the pH is in the optimum range, just use Native Plant Fertiliser thereafter.
Pohutukawa are showy plants that do require feeding to keep them looking amazing. A lot of articles have all sorts of advice on this subject which often requires multiple applications so you use more of their products. The Plant Company prefers to take a simpler and more environmentally responsible approach. We believe the best organic option is The Plant Company organic fertiliser which is applied in spring and again in autumn and will keep them well fed. You can safely apply generous amounts of this fertiliser without risk of injuring the plants. More details about this fertiliser are provided with the product.
Pohutukawa require good levels of soil moisture to stay fresh and keep growing actively. They require watering both during establishment and during dry periods. The Plant Company recommends a generous watering every third day during summer, or every third day if the soil is a bit heavier. If plants start to wilt, you need to water immediately. The Plant Company advises watering in the morning or in the evening for water conservation purposes.
If your Pohutukawa is being grown in a pot, watering every second day during summer and once every week during winter is the general rule. This will depend on how hot the growing environment is and the size of the plant of course. A word of caution, over-watering is the most common cause of plant death with Pohutukawa.
Pohutukawa make amazing hedges, both formal (i.e., trimmed), and informal (not trimmed). To create an outstanding hedge The Plant Company recommends spacing them 45 cm apart. The faster you want the hedge to fill in, the closer they should be planted is the general rule. With this planting regime they will close in quickly and push each other upwards as they compete for light. The result is a fabulous hedge every time.
You can go out to 60 cm if the budget is tight but that will often result in a gap at the bottom between plants which is hard to fill. The gap results from the natural vase shape with which these plants grow. In this situation opt for smaller grade sizes and plant more of them rather than going with bigger plants as this will make the money go further and produce a better result in the longer term.
The key to an amazing hedge is to trim them little and often. This helps keep them dense and encourages the fresh, new growth. The best hedges are trimmed 2-3 times per year. The Plant Company has produced articles on trimming Pohutukawa, fertiliser for Pohutukawa, and Pohutukawa troubleshooting to help you grow amazing plants.
Pohutukawa make amazing hedges (both formal and informal) and to create an outstanding formal hedge, The Plant Company recommends spacing them 45 cm apart. The faster you want the hedge to fill in, the closer they should be planted is the general rule. With this planting regime they will close in quickly and also push each other upwards as they compete for light. The result is a fabulous hedge every time.
You can go out to 60 cm if the budget is tight but that will often result in a gap at the bottom between plants which is hard to fill. The gap results from the natural vase shape with which these plants grow. In this situation opt for smaller grade sizes and plant more of them rather than going with bigger plants as this will make the money go further and produce a better result in the longer term.
If 25L grades (or bigger) are purchased which are 1m tall and lush, you can space these 1 m apart without issue. These grades have generally been manicured to ensure they are bushy to the base and will therefore branch and fill in more easily.
Pohutukawa can be trimmed at any time of the year, though early spring and late summer to early autumn are the times recommended by The Plant Company. At these times the plants will produce good amounts of fresh, new growth. Moreover, the growth in autumn will not be at risk from frost injury. Please note that trimming will remove flower buds, so keep this in mind as you contemplate this task. Light trimming to remove unsightly foliage can occur at any time of year.
Pohutukawa are trimmed to remove excess foliage and to shape the plant(s). This is best done during early spring, late summer, or both. You can be as gentle or aggressive as you like when trimming. A mistake often made is to trim the plants hard enough. This error generally results in a woodier plant and a much larger plant that can be difficult to contain. Pohutukawa are very forgiving plants, and even if you get the trimming wrong, they will usually recover!
The Plant Company recommends trimming frequently (at least one per year) and cutting the plants back no further than where you can see leaves. If you remove all the foliage, the plant will need to sprout again from those stems to regrow and this can be quite unsightly. The Plant Company also recommends removing any dead or unsightly stems at this time.
The articles, How To Grow A Pohutukawa Hedge, How To Trim A Pohutukawa Hedge, and How Hard Can I Trim A Pohutukawa?, provide further information.
Trimming a Pohutukawa hedge so it looks perfect is quite easily achieved with some attention to detail. It does, however, start at establishment if you want a truly awesome hedge.
As the hedge is establishing, keep trimming the outer branches lightly. Removing the tips of the branches during this process encourages more branching and a denser hedge overall. It is essential while doing these light trimmings to keep in mind what width you want the hedge to be when fully grown. Given about 5-10 cm of growth will be removed at each trimming when it is fully grown, the light trimming needs to occur inside the maximum width of the hedge by about 15 cm. Only when the hedge thickens should it be taken out to its maximum width.
Trimming typically occurs in early spring and again in late summer with a little and often philosophy. Taking off too much will make the hedge look bare, but it will grow back. To get straight lines better than trimming by eye, you can use a string line after the initial cut is complete. When The Plant Company trims hedges, we will often do a light cut over, then stand back and look along the lines to determine the high points for removal. Good luck!
Pohutukawa will usually sprout when cut right back, even up to 10-15 cm above ground level. However, this relies on the plant having heathy shoots at the outset. This activity is best undertaken during spring or summer using secateurs or a pruning saw. Please note: Pohutukawa grown in shade environments may struggle to re-establish when cut back severely. Similarly, plants growing sub-optimally due to disease or nutritional issues may also struggle to regrow. The Plant Company does not recommend cutting plants any lower than 15 cm above ground level to ensure a better chance of success with this procedure.
Pohutukawa make amazing informal hedges (i.e., minimally trimmed) and to create an outstanding hedge, space plants about 1 m apart. The faster you want the hedge to fill in, the closer they should be planted.
Variety selection is very important as not all varieties grow as tall and wide as each other. Check out our range of Pohutukawa varieties to make sure you get the right one. The Plant Company has taken great care to provide accurate information and detail about how each one grows.
The hedge can be trimmed as little or as much as you want given it is the informality you are wanting. The Plant Company normally trims only to shape and contain informal hedges.
To create an outstanding Pohutukawa hedge The Plant Company recommends spacing them about 45 cm apart, as discussed in our article, How Far Apart Should Pohutukawa Be Planted For Hedging?
It is important to understand that the hedge is generally pruned in early spring and late summer with about 10-15% of the exterior vegetation removed. The amount removed depends on how much you need to contain the hedge. The best Pohutukawa hedges are trimmed twice per year with a little and often approach to keep the plants dense and lush. That said, they still look fine with once-a-year trimming. See our article, How To Trim A Pohutukawa Hedge for finer details on this subject. Further, The Plant Company has produced expert advice on Trimming Pohutukawa, Fertiliser For Pohutukawa, Pohutukawa Troubleshooting, and many more Pohutukawa articles to help you grow amazing plants.
Variety selection is also very important as not all varieties grow as tall as each other. Check out The Plant Company's range of Pohutukawa varieties to make sure you get the right one. We have taken great care to provide accurate information and detail about how each one grows. The Pohutukawa most commonly used for a formal hedge are Metrosideros Mistral and Metrosideros excelsa varieties. Metrosideros Dalese makes a beautiful hedge in warmer climates.
Creating a Pohutukawa topiary standard requires both patience and a straight, single-stemmed plant to start off with. The plant is staked to grow with a straight trunk to just past the mid-height of the topiary (i.e., ball). All the side branches are trimmed off to about 10 cm above the mid-point of the topiary. The top of the plant is cut off just above the mid-point of the ball to encourage sprouting just below the cut. As the new stems grow, they are routinely “tipped” (i.e., the top bud is pinched out) to encourage more shoots. All the time, the ball is progressively shaped until the desired size is achieved. This process can take three years (or more) to complete. If all this seems too hard or you don’t have the patience, contact us and we can generally supply your needs.
Pohutukawa do have issues from time to time. Therefore, it is important to understand the underlying issue(s) and have the remedies to fix the problem. The Plant Company have produced this series of articles to help you in the quest for answers to address Pohutukawa hedge problems and diseases.
Myrtle Rust is highly likely to be causing your Pohutukawa to die or be looking sick. This disease shows up as rust-coloured spores, usually on the new growth. The leaves will then develop yellow spots before eventually turning brown. Our article, Myrtle Rust On Pohutukawa affords detail on this issue and its control.
There are a host of other reasons that might be causing issues with your plant, and our article, What Is Wrong With My Pohutukawa? details other likely causes.
The most common disease problem with Pohutukawa is Myrtle Rust. It shows up as rust-coloured spores, usually on new growth. The leaves will then develop yellow spots before eventually turning brown. The disease will spread throughout the plant and can affect other plants in the same family. It is generally not fatal for the plant, but is quite unsightly.
Myrtle Rust is most prevalent during spring, summer, and autumn, and is spread by water droplets and insects. Therefore, it is most prevalent in high humidity areas, or where plants are regularly sprayed with water.
Treatment for Myrtle Rust is two-fold. Localised infections are generally trimmed off and the material burnt or sent to landfill in a well-sealed bag. The plant is then sprayed with a copper fungicide at weekly intervals for the next three weeks.
Despite all the hype around Myrtle Rust, it is an easy disease to control with spraying. However, the key is to identify the issue quickly and respond in the same manner. The Plant Company uses Wetcit in normal nursery operations to take advantage of its fungicidal and insecticidal properties. When used in a preventative manner, it is one of the safest and least toxic products in the market. Rarely do we see Myrtle Rust in the nursery with our plants sprayed every four weeks between spring and autumn. If any signs are noticed, however, a Copper Fungicide will be used. Please ensure you read the label carefully and use the appropriate safety gear when using any agrichemical.
Leaf yellowing in Pohutukawa can result from over-watering, being grown in poor draining soil, Myrtle Rust, or Phytophthora root rot. Other common causes are too much shade, or the plants have not been fed for a number of years. A liquid fertiliser can be used to correct issues quickly and should be supported with Native Plant Fertiliser during spring if you think this is the cause.
On dense bushes the internal leaves will often yellow before being shed. This is due to a lack of light and is normal. Some articles you might find useful are: Myrtle Rust On Pohutukawa, Root Rot In Pohutukawa, and What Is Wrong With My Pohutukawa?
When Pohutukawa are grown in wet soils or exposed to prolonged wet through over-watering, the disease, Phytophthora, can take hold. Phytophthora attacks the roots and causes the plant to eventually die. The tell-tale symptoms are yellowing of the leaves, drooping foliage even when the soil is moist, discolouring of the stems, and plant collapse. This can happen over several months during any season and progressively gets worse. This is all resulting from the root system being progressively weakened by the pathogen. Gardeners will often mistakenly think the plant needs more water. Unfortunately, adding water only accelerates the problem prolonged wetness was generally the cause in the first place.
Often the disease will start to show several weeks after a prolonged rain event. It can also occur when plants are regularly over-watered, or planted in soils that are poorly drained or that hold too much moisture (e.g., clay soils). Therefore, good drainage is essential and sites where drainage is poor should be avoided. The article, Fixing Poor Drainage On A Clay Soil gives good advice on how to correct drainage.
Treatment for Phytophthora can be a hit and miss exercise as there are no silver bullets. However, if picked up early, The Plant Company has experienced some success using Transformer. Transformer has fungicidal properties and when used as a soil drench 2-3 times, plants can sometimes recover. However, if the plant is too far gone, The Plant Company recommends removing the plant entirely, and using Transformer as a soil drench before putting in a new plant. Of course, the drainage or watering issues will need to be addressed so the problem does not manifest again.
There can be many reasons why a Pohutukawa looks sick or is dying and it is often an iterative process to determine why. The most common reasons are presented below and organised from most likely to least likely based on The Plant Company's experience.
Pohutukawa are propagated by stem cuttings between autumn and mid-spring. A stem about 10 cm long is trimmed into a cutting using secateurs with a couple of leaves left at the top. The leaves are cut in half to reduce transpiration losses and prevent the cutting drying out. The base is cut just below a node, then dipped in rooting hormone. The cutting is then inserted into propagation growing media, and the tray of cuttings is placed under mist. Bottom heat is applied for the first four weeks while the cuttings root. A fungicide is generally applied every week with the cuttings usually ready for potting at week 10.
Pohutukawa do not root well in just water and are more likely to rot. There might be the odd success, but The Plant Company says, “don’t waste your time!” Our article, How To Propagate Pohutukawa will give you a lot better chance of success!
The Plant Company has great stock of high quality Pohutukawa plants. We appreciate that buying online is somewhat of a leap of faith, given you are putting your trust in us. Please rest assured that we only ship plants that we would happily buy and plant ourselves. Trust in The Plant Company to supply your Pohutukawa needs and allow us to impress you both with our quality and service. Our impressive Google Rating shows we are good at what we do!
A cheap Pohutukawa plant usually comes in a very small pot and has both small foliage and small roots. The small plant can be appealing when you are on a budget, however, think of such plants like babies. They only have a small root system, so they need careful attention for watering. They are also more vulnerable to diseases such as root rot, and our article, Root Rot In Pohutukawa, explains how devasting this disease can be. The Plant Company therefore recommends you only buy plants in a 2L pot (preferably bigger) to have the greatest chance of success, even if you are on a budget. Any savings by buying small are lost when they die, and you have to replace them! Moreover, the plants need to be “chunky”, have a strong root system, and show no signs of disease. Be sure to check out our competitively priced Pohutukawa and buy from the best!
Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.