Residents in Aotearoa

New Zealand's 'Christmas Tree'

I've mentioned that Rangitoto boasts the world's largest pohutukawa forest.  It's probably a good time then to tell you a little more about this amazing tree.

Right in our own back yard on 12/10/14

Metrosideros excelsia is an evergreen in the myrtle family.  It flowers between November and January and as you can see, literally explodes when it does.  The red flowers are actually masses of stamens.  

The name is interesting.  The Greek words 'Metra' and 'sideron' mean 'heartwood' and iron' and the Latin word 'excelsus' means 'sublime.' (Sublime Iron-Hearted Tree -JF).  A pretty good description I think. It certainly is sublime to look at when it flowers.

And, the specific gravity of the wood is similar to oak, I found. When I cut one of the trunks from the clump in the photo, I saved a piece and am in the process of carving a stirring paddle set for Jeanne.  I can attest to it's density.  It is nicely grained though and was easy to cut a narrow slice from the trunk, even using just a handsaw. Easy in the sense that the grain did not cause my saw to 'wander.'

"Heartwood of Iron" indeed.!  It took over one thousand strokes of my saw to cut this lengthwise slice.

I've told you before that this tree is one that can grow on bare rock and was therefore, the first tree to gain a foothold or 'roothold' on Rangitoto. It also sometimes grows aerial roots from it's branches. When these roots contact the soil, they take hold and in time form additional trunks that serve as support pillars for the lateral spreading branches. Pohutukawas can grow to be multi-trunked and enormous.

A bee being busy, collecting from 'cups' of nectar.

This bee is the beginning of the reason that I like pohutukawa trees the best of any in New Zealand. The honey that is produced from these flowers has been called, "the whitest honey in the world," because it is just that; very light in color.  It has also been described by some as tasting 'salty.'  

Well, taste is a very subjective thing.  What I do know is that it is my favorite honey. 

Jeanne and I have observed flocks of several species of birds thrusting their beaks downward into the masses of stamins. Notice the cup-like structures by the bee.  We think that the birds are collecting nectar from them. I stripped the stamins from one such 'cup' and tried a taste test, but it is so small I didn't really couldn't taste the nectar.  And I don't really need to I guess, the bees do a fine job of refining and concentrating it for me.