Metrosideros excelsa (
pohutukawa, New Zealand pohutukawa, New Zealand Christmas tree) is a coastal
evergreen tree in the
myrtle family,
Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red (or occasionally orange, yellow or white) flowers made up of a mass of
stamens. The pohutukawa is one of twelve
Metrosideros species
endemic to
New Zealand. Renowned for its vibrant colour and its ability to survive even perched on rocky, precarious cliffs, it has found an important place in New Zealand culture for its strength and beauty and is regarded as a chiefly tree () by Maori. The blossom of the tree is called .