Re: Metrosideros

Metrosideros growing in San Francisco seems often to
be a mix of M. excelsa and M. kermadecensis. The
former is reputed to have a more distinct & showy
seasonal bloom while the latter blooms sporadically. I
think the former can be identified by its longer
leaves and greater propensity to form aerial roots in
the SF climate. Much underused right on the oceanside,
in my opinion, but perhaps overused as a sidewalk
street tree, where its dense foliage is not always
what's called for in this miserably windy and chilly
climate. Nonetheless, I appreciate every one I see.
-Jason


--- Mach Fukada <fukada@aloha.net> wrote:
> 						
> 
> On Tue, 19 Dec 2000, Tony & Moira Ryan wrote:
> 
> > Charles Dills wrote:
> > > > its brilliant scarlet at the appropriate
> season. It would be
> > > > presumably
> > > > limited in the States by its requirements for
> a relatively warm
> > > > climate
> > > > (here it is naturally confined to the warmer
> districts of North
> > > > Island,
> > > > though it can be coaxed to grow somewhat
> further south). My mind
> > > > sidewalk!
> > > 
> > > +++++-----------
> > >         We have a Metrosideros excelsus growing
> at our ornamental
> > > horticulture unit. I have a picture on my page.
> > 
> > I am sure it would be quite happy anywhere in
> coastal California. In
> > nature it is pretty well confined to the coast and
> loves to grow on 
> > cliffs with its roots often crawling exposed down
> the rock face. Around
> > Welligton harbour, though a good deal south of its
> natural home, it has
> > natualized very well and is also a feature in many
> seaside parks. Quite
> > a few have also been planted in home gardens in
> the area, but most
> > gardeners live to regret both the size and their
> propensity for
> > _dropping_ (twigs, leaves buds and spent flowers)
> which never seeems to
> > stop year round.
> 
> How funny.  I found one growing on the Palo Alto
> side of the Dunbarton
> Bridge.  I stopped to see what was at the wetlands
> preserve and look for
> Artemia (sorry I am a fish person also).  I saw it
> and realised what is
> was right away. A species of Metrosideros is very
> common in Hawaii
> (collinia var polymorpha not sur eonthe spelling as
> I am at my desk at
> work) and there were two other species found here
> usually in the higher
> elevations in bogs ets (tremuloides and another that
> I forget).  Our most
> common species has many ecotypes/ecomorphs and is
> common form sea level up
> to the treeline at 9000 feet in elevation.  I
> suspect that these high
> elevation ecomirphs should be frost tolerant and
> able to manage in most of
> the cool areas with an occasional frost (they manage
> that and snow on the
> flanks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea).
> 
> MTF
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index