Metrosideros excelsa Sol. ex Gaertn.

Tree to c. 12 m high or more, often multi-stemmed; crown broadly spreading; branches often arching and/or bearing masses of dangling reddish rootlets (broom-like masses of aerial adventitious roots); branchlets tomentose. Leaves opposite, decussate: petiole 0.5–1 cm long; lamina usually elliptic to oblong, sometimes ovate to lanceolate, 4–10 cm long, 2–5 cm wide (sometimes larger, 25–120 × 25–60 mm, fide de Lange 2021), entire, often slightly recurved margin, acute or obtuse apex, thick, coriaceous, dark green above, grey-green, white-to grey-tomentose below. Inflorescence a terminal, many-flowered cyme. Hypanthium tomentose. Sepals triangular, persistent. Petals oblong. Stamens numerous; filaments 30–40 mm long, red or crimson, sometimes orange, pink, yellow or very rarely white. Fruit obconic to hemispherical, 7–10 mm long, c. 8 mm wide, tomentose.

Occasionally found naturalising along roadsides (Richardson et al. 2016: 364); also recorded in dry sclerophyll forest on sandy soil (P. Brookhouse s.n., NE), colonising and well established on sandstone above sand cliffs (L.A.S. Johnson 9274, NSW), in wet heath on sandy clay soil (G.W. Carr 207-88, CANB, NE), and on ballast stabilising bank of re-claimed land (G. Daniels 56, HO).

Cultivated as an ornamental, screen or hedge plant. There are numerous cultivars of Metrosideros excelsa, ranging from low shrubs to trees, plants with variegated foliage, and yellow to red-flowered forms. See Rodd (1996: 302), Ellison (1999: 386–387), Spencer (2002: 401–402), Dawson & Heenan (2010). Metrosideros excelsa appears on a New Zealand 60c postage stamp (part of a native trees series) issued in 2012.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.