A colourful display for the Christmas Season

Pohutukawa – the New Zealand Christmas Tree

A sure sign that Christmas is near in New Zealand is when the Pohutukawa tree bursts into bloom.  This distinctive gnarly native coastal tree commences flowering towards the end of November when the season turns from spring into summer.

The distinctive red spiky flowers present a colourful display for almost a month before the stamens drop to form a red carpet on the surrounding ground, that’s if the early summer storms don’t blow them away sooner.