Virginia Tech Dendrology

'ohi'a lehua Myrtaceae Metrosideros polymorpha Gaudich. symbol: MEPO5
Leaf: Opposite, simple, evergreen, ovate to nearly round, thick and leathery, entire margins, to 3 inches long; waxy and blue to shiny and yellow-green above, may be rusty tomentose below; often tightly packed on the stems.
Flower: Very showy, borne in round flowerbuds displayed in clusters at the branch tips. Flower buds open to reveal masses of red to yellow stamens, each inch long, making the mass look like a pom-pom; blooming mostly in spring, but flowers can appear throughout the year.
Fruit: A cup-shaped capsule 1/4 inch in diameter.
Twig: Ititially gred-brown and covered in pale pubescence, becoming reddish-brown or gray with conical buds and semicircular leaf scars.
Bark: Smooth and gray when young, becoming irregulary rough and scaly.
Form: Variable, depending on site; ranging from a low shrub to a forest tree 90 feet tall.

Additional Range Information: Metrosideros polymorpha is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information