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Metrosideros umbellata
Also called Southern Rata
Southern rātā is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand, growing up to about 15 m tall and known for masses of scarlet flowers in summer. It is grown mainly as a specimen or garden tree in mild, cool-temperate climates rather than as a common houseplant.
Metrosideros umbellata, commonly known as southern rātā, is an evergreen tree in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, where its range mainly covers the South and Stewart Islands, while being largely not present in the North Island. M. umbellata individuals are also found in the subantarctic Auckland Islands. M. umbellata's habitat is unrestricted and can occur in many different natural environments, altitudinal ranges and surfaces.
Metrosideros umbellata was first described by the Spanish botanist Antonio José Cavanilles in 1797. M. umbellata grows to a height of up to 15 metres (50 feet) with a trunk measuring up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in diameter. It has an estimated lifespan of 400–500 years. M. umbellata produces masses of typically scarlet-coloured flowers, typically in summer, from November to February. Its bark is thin, and its outer layers peel off as papery flakes.
Metrosideros umbellata is endemic to New Zealand. Its range mostly covers the South Island and Stewart Island, but is also locally present in the North Island and the subantarctic Auckland Islands. The northernmost naturally occurring population of M. umbellata is in Te Paki, in the Northland Region, and the species' southernmost naturally occurring population is in the subantarctic Auckland Islands; a group of extinct volcanoes that were once part of the now almost entirely submerged continent of Zealandia.
Bartlett's Rata · Crimson Rata · Small Ratavine · Pōhutukawa · Scarlet Rātā Vine · Pohutukawa · ʻŌhiʻa Lehua · Lehua
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Metrosideros umbellata 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.
