Metrosideros excelsa
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Metrosideros excelsa, commonly known as pōhutukawa, New Zealand Christmas tree, and iron tree, is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red flowers, each consisting of a mass of stamens. The pōhutukawa is one of twelve Metrosideros species endemic to New Zealand. Renowned for its vibrant colour and its ability to survive even perched on rocky, precarious cliffs, it has found an important place in New Zealand culture for its strength and beauty, and is regarded as a chiefly tree by Māori.
Botanical illustration of pōhutukawa by Ellen Cheeseman
The yellow-flowering "Aurea" cultivar
Metrosideros excelsa on Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Long Bay, New Zealand
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Long Bay is one of the northernmost suburbs of the North Shore, part of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area located in New Zealand.
Long Bay is the site of an extensive beach. The beach forms a part of the Long Bay Regional Park, while the surrounding shoreline is a part of the Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve
Te Piripiri / Pipiri Point (right) was used as a defensive pā site
The Vaughan Homestead is the historic farmhouse of the Vaughan family, who farmed the area for over 100 years.