Re: Street trees
- Subject: Re: Street trees
- From: T* a* M* R*
- Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 09:31:00 +1200
Barry Garcia wrote:
>
> gardenguru@yahoo.com writes:
> >Metrosideros tomentosa, New Zealand Christmas Tree
>
> Meterosideros' are wonderful trees, and are clean from what I've seen.
Just to clear up a couple of points Barry.
According to the NZ flora, M tomentosa is regarded as just a synonym and
the proper name of this splendid tree is Metrosideros excelsa. The Maori
name, by which it is mostly known here, is Pohutukawa.
And I certainly would not describe it as a clean tree. I once gardened
for a household where there was a smallish tree of this species in the
corner of a paved courtyard and all year round we battled with its
droppings, from masses of spent flowers to leaves and various-sized
twigs. We really used to curse the mess it made!
As to using it as a street tree. There are several streets in my local
city which were planted with it way back - maybe about 50-60 years ago -
and because it is definitely south of its natural range here it has
remained moderately small and manageable, but in its real home in the
warm north it would soon outgrow the position and form an immense
spreading canopy and a mighty trunk. To really do justice to its growth
it needs a lot of space and looks magnificent for instance in a seaside
park. They are indeed very fine at their best and the display of flowers
hard to beat. I understand in California the flowering tends to be
spread out, but the natural habit in its homeland is to have one
magnificent burst lasting from around Christmas for about a month,
though individual trees may spread things a little by varying their
starting date. Many of the wild trees love to grow hanging on the most
inaccesible of cliffs, often with gnarled exposed roots running down the
cliff face, and when in flower the combination of blue sky, blue sea and
crimson flowers can be breath-taking and evoke the best of the Christmas
season for any Kiwi.
As to the street plantings of Pohutukawa in Lower Hutt, they were
discontinued after a few years, even though the trees are set in grass
strips so the dropping would not matter much. It sees the locals
objected to the way the trunks pretty soon thickened up, as they were
afraid they could at night give cover to criminal lurkers! At least
they made people walking past after dark uncomfortable. They also tend
to put out low and unacceptably spreading side branches, which over the
years have necessitated a good deal of major surgery to keep them from
encroaching on carriage-way or footpath.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata - at the
Southern tip of North Island, NZ, Lat 41°15'S, Long 174°58'E
