The Pohutakawa Tree is regarded as “The New Zealand Christmas Tree”. Found mainly in the North Island and northern parts of the South Island the Pohutakawa has bright red bushes of flowers (made up mostly of stamens) which bloom throughout December.
The Pohutakawa Tree or its lovely red flowers often feature on greeting cards and wrapping paper. The Tree has also featured in a few songs, poems and Christmas Carols.
It appears the early settlers in NZ noticed its timely bloom with references from the 19th century to it as the “settlers Christmas tree”. The first recorded reference was in 1867 by an Austrian Geologist who noted that the settlers referred to it as such.