A broad-crowned evergreen tree to about 10 m tall, sometimes much larger and occasionally multi-stemmed. Young shoots pale and densely matted with hairs. Leaves opposite, elliptic, 6-10 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, thick, leathery, dark green above, grey-green and woolly beneath. Leaf stalk about 1 cm long. Flowers in clusters grouped into stalkless 2s and 3s with a common stalk 5-8 mm long. Petals and stamens crimson. Fruits in clusters of 15-25 capsules, each about 1 cm long. Syn. M. tomentosa A. Rich.
A tree of exposed sites on the north coast of the N Island.
New Zealand.
VIC: Melbourne (Royal Bot. Gds, Chinese Bed).
Source: (2002). Myrtaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
Metrosideros excelsa 'Parnell'
A densely branched, prolifically flowering tree. Obtained by Graeme Platt from a large tree planted at the Parnell Rose Gds by Sir John Logan Campbell, the first mayor of Auckland. Also the cultivar a'Midas' pvj 5(3)5.
Metrosideros excelsa 'Sunninghill'
Leaves with a yellow patch in the centre and a green margin. Selected by Mr h.j. Clark of Sunninghill Nsy, Auckland, New Zealand.
Metrosideros excelsa 'Variegata'
Leaves with an irregular yellow margin and grey-green markings. M. robusta a. Cunn., Rata (Northern Rata), and m. umbellata Cav., Southern Rata, are less frequently cultivated. M. kermadecensis Oliver, Kermadec Pohutukawa, is a generally smaller plant with smaller leaves and shorter filaments, known mostly through its cultivars.