A kanuka branch Christmas tree in our living room, Christmas 2007.
The native New Zealand Christmas tree is commonly considered to be the pohutakawa (Metrosideros excelsa). This special tree certainly does put on a fabulous display of blazing red flowers in mid to late December. The trouble is, it only does this naturally along the coastlines of northern New Zealand. Everywhere else in the country where pohutukawa are found, including where I live on Banks Peninsula, they have been introduced, and will not necessarily flower in time for Christmas.
In any case, it would be a pity to cut off huge branches of this already well-decorated tree, bring them indoors, and load them with superfluous ornaments. I prefer to arrange smaller branches in a big flower vase with long stems of the (non-native) Christmas lily, Lilium regale. This gives a good showing of the 'Christmas' colours of red, white and green, plus a lovely scent as well.
For my native Christmas tree I cut a long, thick branch of the tree which flowers prolifically at Christmas time in these parts, dusting itself and the hillsides where it grows in white blossom.
A branch of kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) in flower can be easily propped up with rocks or wood in a tall flowerpot. Decorated with a few red or red tartan bows or paper chains, the classic red/green/white Christmas combination is achieved with very little trouble and expense. (Perhaps also with more beauty - and certainly more originality - than Pinus radiata plus blinking electric lights.)
Kanuka is an under-appreciated tree in my view, for lots of reasons, including its important role in stabilising hillsides and providing a nursery for regenerating the grand trees of the New Zealand forest, like totara and matai. So why not express some appreciation, and get to know it better, by giving it a special place in the house once a year?
A kanuka in full bloom on a local farm last week.
No comments:
Post a Comment