POHUTUKAWA Pronounced: Po-who-too-cow-a

Pohutukawa is said to come from the Maori word ‘hutukawa’ refers to a headdress with red feathers
Metrosideros excelsa; Greek: metra = ‘heartwood’ and sideros = iron; excelsa = ‘tall, lofty, outstanding’, or
from the Latin ‘to raise’, ‘exalt’; Metrosideros tomentosa: tomentosa: Latin ‘like felt’ or ‘soft wooly covering’
Family Myrtaceae Pohutu.
Susceptible to cold
when a sapling: A very hardy and tough tree that can withstand salty winds and drought, Aware of wind
Children very chilly; < as well as being able to successfully grow in the poorest of soils. The => calmer
cold, > heat; A/F chill roots can grow over surfaces as it searches for soil and moisture
Enhancement of sound
Sens. bond to earth
Sens. binding flow of blood Sens. of strength Coastal tree: Dreams: water, lake,
Sens. body pumping blood Sens. reinforcement Thirstless/Thirsty island, journeys by water
Des. to wander through veins
Sx: Blood, Varicose veins
A tenacious grip on life Uplifting in my body’s framework Arthritis, rheumatism
Issues with borders Sens. twisted
Sens. of battle I must be strong and be seen to be strong Great stability

Sens. vibration in limbs,

Survival as of earthquake Endurance Always relied on and won’t let you down
Steadfast
Apprehension Fear: fire, planes, Limbs, Heaviness
of a calamity suffocation, losing control, Dreams: Paralysis,
Cramps, Numbness
impending danger Need to break the tie that binds
PA aching, stitching
Endurance in adversity Burning foot
Feeling as if neglected Dreams: his Arthritis
Not accepted for who they are own family,
Perfectionist or workaholic Increased feeling of exhaustion
body disfigured Overwhelming tiredness; burn out
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Unable to go to toilet in presence of others Heavy hearted Unable to get motivated
Urination < night Heavy limbed Confusion # clarity at first
Kidney sx Menses heavy,
Prickling sens. before stool cramping, clotted
Feeling as if in a cage
Hot flushes; red
Felt dark being inside Isolation; Who am I?
Physicals Heavy dark cloud
Sx: Itchy palate/back, Top of throat itchy, Sneezing; Nose Everything in slow motion
running, from left nostril; Trees: Skin sx: eczema, psoriasis Sens. head is fizzy and spacey
Sweet taste in mouth
Thesis and Proving by: Barbara Bassett,
Barbara Scott; Lorraine James, !ew Zealand Maori collected its nectar using it for food and to treat sore throats. An
Additional info: Diane Hayes, !ew Zealand & infusion of the inner bark was used for diarrhoea and as a remedy for
Rob van der Touw, !ew Zealand
dysentery. The tannin in the inner bark was used to stop bleeding. They bound
(1) Dept of Conservation, !ew Zealand, Project Crimson Trust; it against the wound or made a poultice of the boiled and powdered bark and
(2) Medicines of the Maori by Christina MacDonald, William
Collins (!Z) Ltd, Auckland, 1974; (3) Peter H. Buck, The Coming bandaged it over the wound. For toothache a piece of inner bark was held in
of the Maori (1950), Maori Purposes Fund Board the mouth, or they steeped it in water and used it as a mouthwash and gargle (2)
(4) http://yomi.mobi/egate/Metrosideros_excelsa/
Photo top: Aaron Clarke; www.flickr.com/photos/98316616@!00/
Photo bottom: Cape Reinga/Muriwhenua © Ian Hay Del. everything red, d.d. Silene capensis:
Del. objects are red (also a revered plant)
The etymology of the name is uncertain but some similar names in Polynesian are:
‘futu’ the Polynesian name for Barringtonia asiatica, which has flowers very similar to
those of the Pohutukawa; and kawaRi, which refers to a root with special psychoactive Bridge between earth, sky [& underworld]
and/or ritual properties.(4) The tree is one of the most beloved New Zealand native
trees. It lives for up to 1000 years and grows up to 25 metres, often on cliffs
overhanging the sea with the branches nearly reaching the water, occasionally found
with shellfish living in the hanging mass of roots. Metrosideros have a unique ability
to form roots from the branches so as the trunks and branches twist, arch and wind
around each other the thick roots spread and cling to the cliff-face sending down roots
into the earth and rocks they touch – even into bare lava. They flower from November
to late January and are often absolutely covered with stunningly beautiful red blossoms
(Del. everything red); hence it is known locally as: ‘the New Zealand Christmas Tree’.
The flowers are often used to decorate homes at Christmas. Called: ‘Tall ironwood’;
the wood was favoured by early European boat builders, because the natural bends
were ideal for making boats, and the timber was immune to seaworms. Legends tell of
the young warrior Tawhaki and his attempt to enlist help in heaven to avenge his
father's death. When he fell back to earth his blood became the crimson flowers of the
pohutukawa. At the northernmost point of New Zealand is a point of land where the
Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean, on this rock spit is a single small Pohutukawa
tree which has been clinging bravely to the rock for 800 years. The Maori believe that
after death the soul flies north to this tree and slides down the roots to enter the ‘path to
Reinga’ (the underworld). It is a very sacred tree in New Zealand revered equally by
Maori and non-Maori peoples and there is a very powerful aura of consecrated ground
around Cape Reinga and even when there are lots of tourists it is easily felt.(1)

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