Mainland pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) displays spectacular red flowers from the end of November through January. That is why it is nicknamed ‘The New Zealand Christmas Tree.’ It is one of the enduring symbols not only of New Zealand but also of Kiwi midsummer Christmas vacations and the beauty of N.Z.‘s North Island. Pohutukawa, or ‘splashed by the sea,’ is sacred to native Maoris who believe that the pohutukawa which sits on the very tip of Cape Reinga is the last stepping-off place of spirits from this world.