Metrosideros collina 'Springfire' & M. villosus 'Tahiti'/Ultimate sizes?

I am thinking of using these two Metrosideros shrubs
in a coast side garden, but was somewhat doubtful of
the listed sizes as indicated in Sunset Western Garden
and San Marcos Growers Catalogue.  Is anyone familiar
with older established plantings of either to know if
8' tall x wide is accurate for M. 'Springfire' and 3'
x 3' for M. 'Tahiti'?  It seems they are already so
large in 15 gallon size containers that they are
likely to get much larger than this in the landscape. 


I also looked them up at the Queensland, Australia
nursery web site that was the source of introduction
to California, (www.redlandsnursery.com.au), and they
seem to agree.  (This site has some good pictures, as
does San Marcos if people are curious about the
species, which are great shrubby long bloomers for
coastal conditions).

I am actually hoping that M. 'Springfire' does
ultimately get more like 15 feet tall, as I imagine it
might, but don't know how long that might take.  Who
would have thought that species from Tahiti, Samoa and
Hawaii would do as well in coastal California?  Can
introductions of the Hawaiaan Ohi'a Leihua(M.
polymorphus), which is ubiquitous as a colonizer of
old lava flows be far behind? 

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone with direct
experience with older plantings of these...  I am also
looking forward to the first blooms on my container
planting of the scandent shrub/clinging vine M.
carminea, which I also wish was more available.  A
potentially great showy flowering (tender) evergreen
vine for coastal California; much more interesting
than Ficus repens or Hedera helix.  

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