ʻO ka pohutukawa (inoa inoaʻo Metrosideros excelsa)ʻo ia keʻano maoli o ka lāʻau maoli iʻikeʻia aʻikeʻia. Loaʻa iā ia ma kahi o ka kahakai o ka hapa kiʻekiʻe o North Island, ma ke'ākau o ka laina kokoke i Gisborne a New Plymouth a ma nāʻoki kūʻokoʻa ma Rotorua, Pōneke a me ka piko o ka mokupuni. Ua hoʻokomoʻia hoʻi i loko o nā wahi o'Austiala,'Akelika Hema, a me Kaleponi.
ʻO kahi lāʻau like
He mana kupaianaha ka lāʻau i ka piʻiʻana i nā pali kahakai a me nā mauna a ulu ma nā wahi likeʻole hikiʻole (aia kahi ulu lāʻau pohutukawa ma ka moku pele lua pele o White Island ma Bay of Plenty). He pilina pili loa ia i kekahi o nā meaʻokoʻa'ē aʻe o New Zealand, ka rata.
Me ka unuhiʻiaʻana o ka'ōlelo Hawaiʻi,ʻo ka pohutukawaʻo ia keʻano o "kāpīpīʻia e ka'ōpala," aʻo ia kaʻike maopopo loa i kaʻikeʻia o ka loaʻaʻana ma ka moana.
Ma waho aʻe o ka hoʻolakoʻana i ka malu o ka poʻe kahakai i ke kauwela o New Zealand,ʻo ka lālā o nā puaʻulaʻula i hua mai ia Novema a Ianuali, ua hāʻawi akuʻo ia i ka pohutukawa i ka hua'ōlelo "New Zealand Christmas Tree". ʻO kaʻoiaʻiʻo, no nā hanauna he kiwis,ʻo ka pohutukawa ulu nui kekahi o nā hōʻailona nui o ka lā hoʻomaha no ka hōʻoluʻoluʻana o ka lā Mele Kalikimaka. Aia kekahiʻano pohutukawa, e hana ana i keʻano o nā pua kala, mai kaʻulaʻula a hiki i ka popo.
Hoʻomaopopo ka lāʻau no kona ulu kūpono; Hiki i nā'āpana likeʻole o ka lāʻau ke pua i kekahi manawa i nā manawa likeʻole.
I kēia mau makahiki i hala iho nei, ua hopohopo ka pohutukawa i nā mea pīhoihoi, ma kahi o ka possum. Ua laweʻia kēia holoholona pipi mai'Ausetalia i ka makahikiʻumikumamāiwa a ua lilo i mea nui i nā ululāʻau o New Zealand.
E like me ia me nā lāʻau'ē aʻe, eʻai ka leʻa ma nā lau o ka pohutukawa, e wehe i ke kapa. ʻOiai e hoʻomaka ana nā hana nui e ho'ēmi i ka'āpana'āpana akā, e noho mau lākou.
ʻO ka Pohutukawa nui loa o ka Honua
Aia ma Te Araroa ma ka hikina hikina o ka mokupuniʻo Makike, aia he 170km mai Gisborne mai, he pohutukawa kūikawā loa. ʻO ia ka pohutukawa i kaulana loa i ka honua. Aia ia ma luna o 21 mau mika ke kiʻekiʻe a ma kahi mamao loa he 40 mika ke anawaena. Ua kapaʻia ka lāʻauʻo "Te Waha-ʻO-Rerekohu" e nā poʻe o ka'āina āpau a ua manaʻoʻiaʻo ia ma kahi o 350 mau makahiki. Mai ka inoa o kekahi aliʻi o kahi moku,ʻo Rerekohu, ka mea i noho ma kēia wahi.
Kū kēia pohutukawa i ka pā o kahi kula nui, kokoke i ke kahakai o ke kūlanakauhale. Hiki ke ikeʻia mai ke alanui a he "pono eʻike" ma ka huakaʻi e pili ana i ka East Cape mai Opotiki a Gisborne . ʻAʻole mamao loa ia mai ka lookout a me ka mālamalama kukui o ka East Cape, kahi e noho nei ma kahi mamao loa ma New Zealand.
ʻO ka pohutukawa kūlana kaulana loa i New Zealand aia ma ka palena o ka pali o ka'āina,ʻo Cape Reinga . He mea nui nui kēia wahi i ka poʻe Hawaiʻi. Ua kapaʻiaʻo "kahi lele",ʻo ia hoʻi, e like me ka'ōlelo Hawaiʻi, kahi e make ai ka hanana e hele i Hawaiki, ko lākou'āina hānau.
ʻAʻole iʻike nuiʻia ka pohutukawa ma waho o New Zealand. ʻO ka mea e mahalo ai, he lāʻau pohutukawa ke kikowaena o kekahi hihia e hōʻike ana iā Kāpena Cookʻaʻole pahaʻo ia ka Europa mua i pae i Niu Sila. Aia ma La Corunna , kahi kaiākau kahakai ma ke kūkulu'ākau o Sepania, aia kahi pohutukawa nui i manaʻoʻia e ka poʻe o ka'āina ma kahi o 500 mau makahiki. Ināʻo ia ke kumu e hoʻomaka mua aiʻo Cook i kona hōʻeaʻana i New Zealand i ka makahiki 1769. Manaʻo nā mea'ē aʻe heʻelua wale nō makahiki o ka lāʻau. ʻOiaiʻo kona mau makahiki, ua lilo ka lāʻau i mea hōʻailona o ke kūlanakauhale.
Ma kahi'ē aʻe e hele aiʻoe i uka o ka Mokupuniʻo North Island, he poʻomukawa nui loa aʻano hiʻona o ke kahakai o New Zealand. A ināʻoe maanei i ka Mele Kalikimaka eʻikeʻoe i kāna mau pua nani.