Rātā
A close relative of pōhutukawa in the same genus, with the same blazing crimson summer flowers beloved by tūī and bellbird, but genuinely more cold-hardy: southern rātā grows naturally as far south as Stewart Island, making it a native Christmas-flowering option for cooler and southern gardens where pōhutukawa struggles. In the wild, northern rātā often begins life as an epiphyte high in the canopy of a host tree, eventually strangling and outliving it, but nursery-grown plants establish normally as a free-standing tree in cultivation. Slower-growing than pōhutukawa and, like it, seriously threatened by myrtle rust; wild rātā populations have also been badly hit by possum browsing, which strips flowers and foliage faster than the tree can recover.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- low
- Spacing
- 400cm
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Mature height
- 15m
- Flowering season
- Jan, Feb, Dec
- Attracts wildlife
- Tūī, Bellbird/korimako, Bees
- Evergreen
- Yes
- Common diseases
- Myrtle rust
- Common pests
- Scale insects, Pōhutukawa leafminer
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: March-April and September-November. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: September-November. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: September-October.
Growing stages
Planting & establishmentFirst few months
- Nursery-grown rātā establishes as a normal free-standing tree, even though northern rātā typically begins life as an epiphyte in the wild
- Water consistently through the first summer while roots establish
- More cold-hardy than pōhutukawa; southern rātā in particular suits cooler and southern gardens well
Early growthFirst few years
- Slower-growing than pōhutukawa, so be patient with size and flowering in the early years
- Check new growth for scale insects and pōhutukawa leafminer damage
- Full sun and shelter from strong wind help young trees establish steadily
Flowering
- Blazing crimson flowers over summer draw tūī, bellbird and bees, so avoid spraying nearby during this period
- Inspect new growth for bright yellow-orange pustules of myrtle rust, a serious and now-established threat to this and other native myrtles
- Flowering can be irregular year to year, with especially heavy 'rātā years' followed by lighter ones
Maturity
- Established trees are drought-tolerant and need very little ongoing care
- Where possums are present, browsing on flowers and foliage can be a bigger threat to a mature rātā than any insect pest
- Continue watching for myrtle rust even on established specimens