Hawthorn get big spur-like thorns while various ribes get much smaller and more numerous thorns and tend to be "prickly" - Although I'm sure there are varieties of each bred to have no thorns. Looking for the thorns may help you in your identification. FataMorgana

(Redirected from New Zealand Christmas Tree) Jump to: navigation, search Pōhutukawa Pōhutukawa trees Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Rosids Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Genus: Metrosideros Species: M. excelsa Binomial name Metrosideros excelsa Gaertn. Synonyms Metrosideros tomentosa The Pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) is a coastal evergreen tree of the myrtle family that produces a brilliant display of red flowers made up of a mass of stamens. The Pōhutukawa is one of twelve Metrosideros species endemic to New Zealand. Contents [hide] 1 Description 2 Flowers 3 Conservation 4 Cultivation 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References [edit] Description The tree grows up to twenty metres in height, with a dome-like spreading form. Its natural range is the coastal regions of the North Island of New Zealand, north of a line stretching from New Plymouth (39 S) to Gisborne (38° S). It also grows on the shores of lakes in the Rotorua area. A giant PÅhutukawa at Te Araroa on the East Coast is reputed to be the largest in the country, with a height of 20 metres and a spread of 38 metres.[1] The tree is renowned as a cliff-dweller, able to maintain a hold in precarious, near-vertical situations. Some specimens have matted, fibrous aerial roots. Like its Hawaiian relative the Ê»ÅhiÊ»a lehua (M. polymorpha), the PÅhutukawa has shown itself to be efficient in the colonisation of lava fields, notably on Rangitoto Island, a volcano in Auckland Harbour. [edit] Flowers The PÅhutukawa flowers from November to January with a peak in mid to late December (the southern hemisphere summer), with brilliant crimson flowers covering the tree, hence the nickname New Zealand Christmas Tree. There is variation between individual trees in the timing of flowering, and in the shade and brightness of the flowers. In isolated populations genetic drift has resulted in local variation: many of the trees growing around the Rotorua lakes produce pink-shaded flowers, and the yellow-flowered cultivar "Aurea" descends from a pair discovered in 1940 on MÅtiti Island in the Bay of Plenty. [edit] Conservation In New Zealand, the PÅhutukawa is under threat from browsing by the introduced common brushtail possum which strips the tree of its leaves. A charitable conservation trust, Project Crimson, has the aim of reversing the decline of PÅhutukawa and other Metrosideros species - its mission statement is "to enable pohutukawa and rata to flourish again in their natural habitat as icons in the hearts and minds of all New Zealanders". [edit] Cultivation PÅhutukawa in bloomThe PÅhutukawa is popular in cultivation, and there are fine examples in most North Island coastal cities. Vigorous and easy to grow, the tree flourishes well south of its natural range, and has naturalised in the Wellington area and in the north of the South Island. The PÅhutukawa has been introduced to other countries with mild-to-warm climates, including south-eastern Australia and it has naturalised on Norfolk Island. In coastal California, it is a popular street and lawn tree. In parts of South Africa, the PÅhutukawa grows so well that it is regarded as an invasive species, it is also naturalising on coastal cliffs in the Sydney Region, Australia. Specimens occur in Spain as north as La Coruña[2]. This tree has withstood temperatures as low as -7.3°C at Tresco, England[3].

I've always considered Pseudococcidae to be scale insects, mostly because of an old Irish gardener I worked for, who called them "Soft Scale." I also see many citations in Google which consider them to be scale. Wikipedia: "Mealybug is the common name of insects in Pseudococcidae, a family of unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm climates." IPM of Alaska: "Mealybugs are part of the insect families collectively known as scale insects." Columbia Encyclopedia: "..common name for certain unarmored scale insects that exude a granular white secretion, giving them a mealy appearance." It seems the more I learn, the less I know.

I've seen hundreds of Ipomoea cordatotriloba colonies across southern Arkansas, but saw my first example with white flowers yesterday. I do enjoy the sports and hybrids, and thought this was worth sharing. It looks a bit like Ipomoea lacunosa, but the flowers in the photo were 1.5 inches across (2-3 times the width of lacumosa). There were also cordatotriloba flowers of typical color, close by, for comparison.