New Zealand’s native pōhutakawa is probably the best known of its trees, particularly because of its flowers of red that appear at Christmas. It has a relative, rata, that also flowers at the same time of year.
Every few years the rata flowers in profusion, causing blots of red amongst the gentle hues of the flowering trees and shrubs on the hills. This year the both rata and pōhutakawa have been spectacular, as you can see from the photographs. Occasionally one might see a white flowering plants, adding a touch of mystery to these majestic and wonderful natives.
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