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Gardening in New Zealand
christineb_gw

Pohotukawas in Sydney

ChristineB
18 years ago

I live in an apartment block in Mosman in Sydney surrounded by a beautiful established garden, on sandstone with shallow amended topsoil. Some years ago five 1 metre pohutukawas were planted in an afternoon sun area to form a hedge. They were watered and trimmed, and produced some sparse flowers. One of the residents bought up a storm with some rather nice camellias, which were planted where the pohotus had been. Two of the pohutus were replanted against a western fence under the neighbour's malaleuca, eucalypt and cedar, in the shade. The poor things have just sat there with no flowers, spindly branches and sad looking leaves ever since. My neighbour and I (being ex-pat Kiwis) have been conferring about where to move these sad specimens so they can thrive. What is the best way to look after pohutukawas?

Comments (4)

  • con0r
    18 years ago

    see if you can cut away some of the trees branches to let light onto the pohutokawas, they like mistreatment and the flowers are usually not very impressive but as the tree ages then it gets better, once at full height and spread they cover themselves, very impressive, takes 50-100years but

  • ChristineB
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks for the reply, ConOr. Trimming back the branches on the neighbour's overshadowing mature trees would unbalance their backyard. It looks as if we will have to think about somewhere to transplant the pohutukawas to again - somewhere with space and sunlight. Difficult in our established garden, but we'll have another think.

  • vetivert8
    18 years ago

    About the flowering: according to Harrison's Handbook of Trees and Shrubs - 'Although M excelsa is quite popular and easily grown in Australia, plants often fail to bloom freely, possibly requiring a colder or more prolonged winter to develop the flower buds.'

    If you can give them a spot where they can develop their crowns without fear of chainsaw attacks later on... There's something sad about a hacked pohutukawa, I feel.

  • ChristineB
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I've just returned from a trip to Auckland and looked long and hard at the beautiful pohuhutukawas around Lake Pupuke and on up to where I come from - Torbay. I don't think we can do justice to these beautiful trees in Mosman. I'll go looking for a kowhai instead!

    And how I wish I could push the rain back across the Tasman.

    CB

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