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Metrosideros kermadecensis
Also called 'ohi'a Haole, Kermadec Pohutukawa, Kermadecs Pōhutukawa
Metrosideros kermadecensis is a tree from the Kermadec Islands, closely related to pōhutukawa, with bright red flowers. It is rarely grown outside its native range, so care advice comes mainly from general knowledge of pōhutukawa-type Metrosideros.
Metrosideros kermadecensis, commonly known as the Kermadec pōhutukawa, is a species of tree in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand. It reaches a height of up to 20 metres (70 feet), with its main trunk reaching 3 m (10 ft) in diameter. The species is classified in the subgenus Metrosideros. M. kermadecensis was first described by the British botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1864, and was described as Metrosideros polymorpha. It was given its current binomial name in 1928 by the New Zealand botanist Walter Oliver.
Metrosideros kermadecensis has been recorded to be browsed by introduced goats, mostly consuming the more accessible parts of the tree, such as the seedlings, shoots, and trunks, which consist of about 32 percent of their diet. M.
Metrosideros kermadecensis plays host to the endemic beetle Oemona hirta. It also plays host to the insects Uraba lugens and Ornithodoros capensis. The native moss and liverwort species, Syrrhopodon armatus and Cheilolejeunea trifaria, respectively, have been observed growing on M. kermadecensis. Peniophora sacrata, a species of fungus, has also been observed growing on M. kermadecensis. M. kermadecensis has been recorded to be browsed by introduced goats, mostly consuming the more accessible parts of the tree, such as the seedlings, shoots, and trunks, consisting of about 32 percent of their diet.
Bartlett's Rata · Crimson Rata · Small Ratavine · Pōhutukawa · Scarlet Rātā Vine · ʻŌhiʻa Lehua · Southern Rātā · Lehua
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Metrosideros kermadecensis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
