Metrosideros ?

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telboy
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Metrosideros ?

Postby telboy » Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:39 pm

Does anyone out there have a Metrosideros?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MetrosiderosAK.jpg

It is a tree/shrub native to New Zealand, we bought a couple of them recently at a small garden centre on the coast ours, are only about 30cm high, at the time we hoped we were buying a low growing shrub, however after researching them they grow to a height of 30 metres at a rate of up to half a metre a year. Visually they look like Calistemons with a very similar flower head.

Any tips to managing the tree/shrub would be welcome.

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murbisa
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Re: Metrosideros ?

Postby murbisa » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:42 pm

Yes i have 5 of them. Easy to grow and very pretty when they flower in the winter. You should be able to contain their size by pruning quite easily. None of mine are massive. The biggest one is about 5ft and variagated.
I have had them about 4 years and mine certainly don't grow that fast.

telboy
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Re: Metrosideros ?

Postby telboy » Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:37 pm

Cheers Murbisa, the plants we purchased are already in flower so we don't know whether this'll continue through the Winter, however, I have read that there are 26 species originating from 3 areas of the planet - New Zealand, Hawaii and Papua New Guinea. We just hope that they survive through the Winter, lets hope its a mild one, it can get quite chilly here at that time of year, especially since we are 960m above sea level .

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murbisa
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Re: Metrosideros ?

Postby murbisa » Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:44 pm

You should be alright telboy as mine have survived a frost. As you say there are several varieties. One of mine usually flowers in December and is now in bud. The variagated ones seem to flower early spring.


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