The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

This year I've finally managed to note down the date that the white flowered pohutukawa burst into life (13 December 2014) vs the start of the red flowered pohutukawa (16 December 2014) along the same stretch of Titahi Bay Road, Porirua Wellington. However, I can't figure out how to add comments to illustrate this difference (which seems to happen every year) in the phenology observations. Any clues?

Hi Astrid - that's one for Jesse. On another can you supply images of white-flowered pohutukawa for that species fact sheet? I have not seen that colour though I have heard it reported - the few 'white-flowered' ones I have een told about and investigated were actually a dirty, very pale, off pink.

Sure thing Peter, I'll go and take some photos today. I have seen a pale - yellow coloured one in Cornwall Park at the top end of Pohutukawa Drive - not sure what that is up to at this time of the year.

Yes I have seen pale yellow and yellow colour morphs before, and also pink, orange and the usual 'red' (being colour blind its black to me) - but the reported white I have never actually been convinced of - hence my interest.

These ones are more of the yellow variety - but will go and have a closer look for you and take some photos :-)

Sorry, there is no way to note the dates for flowering of different flower colours of the same species in our current system, Phenological and distribution information is linked to the species database, which contains only one entry for Metrosideros excelsa.