Meryta sinclairi

[Than]

Another amazing species from NZ. Apparently Meryta species can be surprisingly cold tolerant. Anyone has tried this plant?

[Darold Petty]

This  plant grows very well in San Francisco, California.

[MikeB]

3 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

This  plant grows very well in San Francisco, California.

I grew this plant about 50 miles south of Darold near San Jose, CA and it performed very well even taking some temps in the mid to upper 20s.  I want to try it here in Northeast Florida.  I'm not surprised that I cant find it anywhere in this state.  There is a good chance it won't like our summers.  I've tried seed but they never come fresh enough to germinate.  Keep on truckin'...

[Than]

8 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

This  plant grows very well in San Francisco, California.

Great; I believe the climate of SF is similar to mine.

Do you know if it grows only on the coast? Does it grow in areas where ice forms?

[Than]

Just checked, SF is zone 10b, so warmer than mine. Also I noticed on inaturalist that all specimens in NZ and elsewhere are right on the coast. So probably the tree is not frost hardy.

[Navarro]

Hace un tiempo también me interese por este árbol y navegando por internet descubri que había un árbol de meryta creciendo en un jardín de Valencia, España 

No sabía cuál y ahora buscando en un foro antiguo español decían que es meryta denhamii

Las temperaturas en valencia pueden ser un poco extremas desde 0° a 40 

[Navarro]

Esa publicación es del 2003 

[Than]

5 hours ago, Navarro said:

Hace un tiempo también me interese por este árbol y navegando por internet descubri que había un árbol de meryta creciendo en un jardín de Valencia, España 

No sabía cuál y ahora buscando en un foro antiguo español decían que es meryta denhamii

Las temperaturas en valencia pueden ser un poco extremas desde 0° a 40 

Qué maravilla!! Meryta denhamii es un árbol espectacular! Si estaría en Valencia robaría unos esquejes jajaja. 

Estaría muy feliz si las temperaturas aquí fuesen de 0 a 40 jeje. Aquí son de -3 a 44. Y estes tres grados bajo del 0 hacen una grande diferencia.

Ya comprí 20 semillas de meryta sinclairii de NZ pero estarán acá en 1-2 meses.. Yo sé que tendré qur cubrirla en el invierno pero su belleza lo merece.

Edited January 12, 2024 by Than

[Darold Petty]

Than, the plants I have observed here are within three kilometers of the ocean, in a garden with "frost drainage" on a downhill slope.

[Than]

3 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Than, the plants I have observed here are within three kilometers of the ocean, in a garden with "frost drainage" on a downhill slope.

Well does ice ever form on leaves in SF anyway if it is 10b?

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, Than said:

Well does ice ever form on leaves in SF anyway if it is 10b?

Frost ..of any magnitude, is rare in S.F.  That said, If you look at the area's overall climatology,  S.F. is also one of the coolest ( ...or coming in at least within the top 10-15 places globally )  zone 10 areas on the planet..  While it may be 100 / 100+F in a hotter part of town in San Jose  on a " hot " day in July,  Aug, or September, ..More often than not, it is only in the 70s- 80s -at most-  during a " heat wave " out there, 95% of the time, at the same time  in S.F.

Lows up there often cool off into the 50s / lowest 60s at night on " hot " days as well,  and humidity levels are rarely all that low, due in part to the persistent influence of the Marine layer that rolls into town almost nightly a fair amount of time during the warmer months.

There's a local / regional, weather- related  saying  that .." When you spend a day up there, ..or at many of the beaches nearby, it might be ' Shorts and T-shirt weather ' during the day.. But, once you start to see the fog roll in, you better have a Sweatshirt  ( ..and / or a pair of Pants ) with you ..You'll regret not bringing one. Even if you'll be taking it off once halfway home ( if " Home " is some place like San Jose, or a city further inland from S.F. Bay, away from the local,  " Cool Ocean " - influenced weather ) "

Temps exceeding the upper 90s / over 100 are about as rare as anything below 32F ..though they're becoming a touch more common -slowly- overtime  as even San Francisco warms a bit in a warming climate.  

Great place for anything tender that enjoys a  moderate  climate, but tougher for plants that like heat. In some cases, some of the plants that are grown there can suffer damage if it gets too  hot. 

Ironically, S.F. ..and some nearby areas across the Bay / south along the coast, ..and in parts of S. Cal, closer to the coast, are great for Some of the " Tropical " Rhododendrons, AKA those in the Vireya group. Fantastic place for growing Fuchsias. Tougher further inland ( Too hot / dry )

[Than]

23 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Frost ..of any magnitude, is rare in S.F.  That said, If you look at the area's overall climatology,  S.F. is also one of the coolest ( ...or coming in at least within the top 10-15 places globally )  zone 10 areas on the planet..  While it may be 100 / 100+F in a hotter part of town in San Jose  on a " hot " day in July,  Aug, or September, ..More often than not, it is only in the 70s- 80s -at most-  during a " heat wave " out there, 95% of the time, at the same time  in S.F.

Lows up there often cool off into the 50s / lowest 60s at night on " hot " days as well,  and humidity levels are rarely all that low, due in part to the persistent influence of the Marine layer that rolls into town almost nightly a fair amount of time during the warmer months.

There's a local / regional, weather- related  saying  that .." When you spend a day up there, ..or at many of the beaches nearby, it might be ' Shorts and T-shirt weather ' during the day.. But, once you start to see the fog roll in, you better have a Sweatshirt  ( ..and / or a pair of Pants ) with you ..You'll regret not bringing one. Even if you'll be taking it off once halfway home ( if " Home " is some place like San Jose, or a city further inland from S.F. Bay, away from the local,  " Cool Ocean " - influenced weather ) "

Temps exceeding the upper 90s / over 100 are about as rare as anything below 32F ..though they're becoming a touch more common -slowly- overtime  as even San Francisco warms a bit in a warming climate.  

Great place for anything tender that enjoys a  moderate  climate, but tougher for plants that like heat. In some cases, some of the plants that are grown there can suffer damage if it gets too  hot. 

Ironically, S.F. ..and some nearby areas across the Bay / south along the coast, ..and in parts of S. Cal, closer to the coast, are great for Some of the " Tropical " Rhododendrons, AKA those in the Vireya group. Fantastic place for growing Fuchsias. Tougher further inland ( Too hot / dry )

I see. So then SF's climate is not similar to mine. I bet there is an area in California that has precisely the same climate as here (extremes of 27 to 110F, dry hot summers and wet winters). I'll try to spot any such areas out of sheer curiosity. I believe Sacramento must be very close.

Edited January 12, 2024 by Than

[Darold Petty]

Than,  I must thank Silas Sancona for the temperature explanation. 

The USDA zone category is a very crude tool.  San Francisco is listed as the same zone as south Florida.  I have actually had Europeans ask me if I grow coconuts !  In reality, due to my alway cool and humid microclimate palms under-perform here.  For example Howea in southern California will typically grow 4-6 fronds per year, while mine will grow only 2 fronds.  Also, palms of various genera will flower but fail to make seed.  I have an Archontophoenix cunninghamiana that has produced a heavy seed crop only twice in more than 20 years even thought the palm is more than six meters tall.  

[JasonD]

3 hours ago, Than said:

I see. So then SF's climate is not similar to mine. I bet there is an area in California that has precisely the same climate as here (extremes of 27 to 110F, dry hot summers and wet winters). I'll try to spot any such areas out of sheer curiosity. I believe Sacramento must be very close.

Yes, Sacramento would be comparable to parts of Greece away from the sea. However, the humidity is quite low in the summer and the summer nights cool down to 15C (when humidity recovers to some degree) except during major heat waves, when they can stay warm.
In my limited experience (two weeks one recent September), the summer nights on the Aegean are much warmer than most of California's. The ocean off San Francisco stays between 10C and 16C all year. Even the warmest ocean temps, off San Diego, rarely exceed 25C.
Meryta sinclairi in San Francisco does well except during our rare heat waves, when humidity drops to 20% and temperatures exceed 28C, and leaves sunburn. Occasional cold outbreaks (-4C) have killed puka trees in the SF Botanical Garden, which is one of the coldest locations in the city, often 5 degrees colder than most of the rest of the city.

[Than]

8 hours ago, JasonD said:

Yes, Sacramento would be comparable to parts of Greece away from the sea. However, the humidity is quite low in the summer and the summer nights cool down to 15C (when humidity recovers to some degree) except during major heat waves, when they can stay warm.
In my limited experience (two weeks one recent September), the summer nights on the Aegean are much warmer than most of California's. The ocean off San Francisco stays between 10C and 16C all year. Even the warmest ocean temps, off San Diego, rarely exceed 25C.
Meryta sinclairi in San Francisco does well except during our rare heat waves, when humidity drops to 20% and temperatures exceed 28C, and leaves sunburn. Occasional cold outbreaks (-4C) have killed puka trees in the SF Botanical Garden, which is one of the coldest locations in the city, often 5 degrees colder than most of the rest of the city.

Interesting. Summer nights in my area are around 19C, so indeed a bit warmer and I expect them to become warmer and warmer with the years. Humidity is also low in the summer but high in the winter. If 28C can burn Meryta's leaves then my occasional Arizona style 44 C will turn them into ashes.. I'll put it in afternoon shade and keep it well watered and pray that I got a plant with exceptional DNA! 

-4 is very rare where I am and with some canopy I don't think I'll ever have such low temperatures. Minimum would be -1. 

I was looking at other cities in California to try and find some with very similar climate. It seems that Modesto is very very close, although a bit less humid in winter. It rains 9 days per month there in January, 14 where I am. Also it seems that winter there is a bit shorter. Temperatures though seem identical year-round.

Edited January 13, 2024 by Than

[Motlife]

In NZ, puka grows well everywhere that it doesn't get hit by hard frosts. Last winter we had a couple of quite chilly nights in August with a fair amount of frost and the puka got burnt, but recovered quickly in spring. Lighter frosts that we get every winter don't seem to bother them once they're a decent size. 

 

I'm surprised they sunburn in the bay area. They grow near the sea in Christchurch which gets mid to high 30s C most summers for a handful of days, with a UV index of 12 at times, and I've never noticed them sunburn in the summer. Although Christchurch will cool right down after those hot days, and hit stay in the 30s for months like Greece. Worth a try there though I'd say, basically have the look of a fiddle leaf fig with much more hardiness. 

 

My thought was they might be similar hardiness to a Bangalow palm, (archontophoenix cunnonghamiana) as most of the smaller ones around here burnt a bit on the same nights as the puka, whereas most winters that doesn't happen. If you can grow them I reckon it's worth trying, maybe with some summer shade. 

 

[Rivera]

Lots of good info here from others. 

Finding fresh seed outside NZ may be a challenge. It's been six months for my seed and no action. I will wait and see. Probably best to find someone who has a tree.

This used to be available as a plant from at least one major California grower, but no longer. 

On 1/12/2024 at 7:04 AM, Than said:

Well does ice ever form on leaves in SF anyway if it is 10b?

I live in SF right by the ocean. In the past four years, I've had a few light frosts. It only touched some parts of my small yard where cold air can flow and pool when it has nowhere else to go. 

[Than]

11 hours ago, Motlife said:

In NZ, puka grows well everywhere that it doesn't get hit by hard frosts. Last winter we had a couple of quite chilly nights in August with a fair amount of frost and the puka got burnt, but recovered quickly in spring. Lighter frosts that we get every winter don't seem to bother them once they're a decent size. 

 

I'm surprised they sunburn in the bay area. They grow near the sea in Christchurch which gets mid to high 30s C most summers for a handful of days, with a UV index of 12 at times, and I've never noticed them sunburn in the summer. Although Christchurch will cool right down after those hot days, and hit stay in the 30s for months like Greece. Worth a try there though I'd say, basically have the look of a fiddle leaf fig with much more hardiness. 

 

My thought was they might be similar hardiness to a Bangalow palm, (archontophoenix cunnonghamiana) as most of the smaller ones around here burnt a bit on the same nights as the puka, whereas most winters that doesn't happen. If you can grow them I reckon it's worth trying, maybe with some summer shade. 

 

Thank you; very useful tips. When you say "lighter frosts that we get every winter don't seem to bother them" what temperatures are we looking at? And do they include ice forming on leaves?

[Motlife]

All cold temperatures here are due to radiational cooling and we get frost forming on metal surfaces like cars at 3 or 4c. Minimum temperatures get down to about 0 to 1 on the official weather station. My own station is metal and exposed to the sky and saw a min of - 2.7, which is probably about the temperature leaves saw without any shelter. Other years my station saw about - 1 to - 2 which didn't affect the puka. We have fairly high humidity so there will be ice forming on leaves even with the higher minimum temperatures. My bananas tend to burn every winter as a comparison, but the stem won't suffer any damage. 

[Than]

6 hours ago, Motlife said:

All cold temperatures here are due to radiational cooling and we get frost forming on metal surfaces like cars at 3 or 4c. Minimum temperatures get down to about 0 to 1 on the official weather station. My own station is metal and exposed to the sky and saw a min of - 2.7, which is probably about the temperature leaves saw without any shelter. Other years my station saw about - 1 to - 2 which didn't affect the puka. We have fairly high humidity so there will be ice forming on leaves even with the higher minimum temperatures. My bananas tend to burn every winter as a comparison, but the stem won't suffer any damage. 

That sounds exactly like my climate. I believe -2 will be the minimum my puka would see, except for an exceptionally cold winter, when it may go down to -4 but hopefully my yard will be a tad warmer by creating a microclimate. I'd be interested to know what other marginal plants you grow in your garden! Of course your volcanic soil must be so much better than mine and your summer climate is very different, from what I see on Wikipedia. Much cooler and wetter.

I wonder if puka can take our hot dry summer days. It can go up to 42 and just 25% humidity some days. Thankfully I can provide afternoon shade.

I already bought fresh Meryta seeds (actually pre-paid them before harvest!) and I cannot wait to receive them in few months.

Edited January 15, 2024 by Than

[Motlife]

It's definitely worth a try. I think lower humidity and heat is generally better for nz natives than somewhere like Florida where they just melt. Can you grow nikau, kentias and similar things? I've haven't been to Greece in summer but a couple of times in May and it felt much the same as late spring here. 

 

I made a thread of stuff that's growing around my area here 

I've seen a couple more things since that I should add to it too since

[Than]

3 hours ago, Motlife said:

It's definitely worth a try. I think lower humidity and heat is generally better for nz natives than somewhere like Florida where they just melt. Can you grow nikau, kentias and similar things? I've haven't been to Greece in summer but a couple of times in May and it felt much the same as late spring here. 

 

I made a thread of stuff that's growing around my area here 

I've seen a couple more things since that I should add to it too since

Awesome thank you! May may not be that hot here but come July and we get 40+ for a few days every year. Not sure about Nikau but Kentias yes, they are easy. If only we had your soil! 

Yesterday I spot a metrosideros excelsa tree in my town. I didn't know it's grown here. I may try it too even though I dislike silver grey foliage. Reminds me of olive trees and we have too many of those hehe

[Motlife]

Probably a good sign if metrosideros is doing well, and if kentias are easy. I imagine most nz natives would do well for you then if you kept them watered in summer. You could try Northern rata - m. robusta - they look similar to excelsa but naturally start as epiphytes and slowly surround the host tree with roots similar to a strangler fig. I have one at home slowly enveloping a piece of driftwood which is quite cool. The foliage is greener than pohutukawa too, which probably means it needs more water, but it's a bit less olive like. 

[JasonD]

On 1/14/2024 at 1:14 AM, Motlife said:

In NZ, puka grows well everywhere that it doesn't get hit by hard frosts. Last winter we had a couple of quite chilly nights in August with a fair amount of frost and the puka got burnt, but recovered quickly in spring. Lighter frosts that we get every winter don't seem to bother them once they're a decent size. 

 

I'm surprised they sunburn in the bay area. They grow near the sea in Christchurch which gets mid to high 30s C most summers for a handful of days, with a UV index of 12 at times, and I've never noticed them sunburn in the summer. Although Christchurch will cool right down after those hot days, and hit stay in the 30s for months like Greece. Worth a try there though I'd say, basically have the look of a fiddle leaf fig with much more hardiness. 

 

My thought was they might be similar hardiness to a Bangalow palm, (archontophoenix cunnonghamiana) as most of the smaller ones around here burnt a bit on the same nights as the puka, whereas most winters that doesn't happen. If you can grow them I reckon it's worth trying, maybe with some summer shade. 

 

I wonder whether high temperature spikes in San Francisco are accompanied by lower humidity than in Christchurch.  Also, the sudden change from weeks or months in summer running between 10–13C and 18C–20C every day (with 55–85% humidity) to 28C or 34C for two or three days might be a factor in the puka's leaves burning.

Than, I'd advise planting in as much shade as possible. They do very well here in shade, despite our general chill and constant sea breeze. It's an ideal plant, really, for tight urban spaces for this reason. Shadows and wind tunnels are our specialty!

[JasonD]

North Island rata, Metrosideros robusta, tends to bloom all over the crown at once, at least here in San Francisco, which is not so much the case with our pohutukawa, many of which are likely hybrid offspring of Metrosideros excelsa and M. kermadecensis.
Plus the rata has attractive reddish new growth.

[Than]

Thanks guys. My seeds are on the way from NZ. Knowing Greek post services, they'll probably be here in 2 months. Thankfully the seeds have just been harvested!

I'll look into rata too!

[Than]

7 hours ago, JasonD said:

North Island rata, Metrosideros robusta, tends to bloom all over the crown at once, at least here in San Francisco, which is not so much the case with our pohutukawa, many of which are likely hybrid offspring of Metrosideros excelsa and M. kermadecensis.
Plus the rata has attractive reddish new growth.

I've read that rata is a huge tree. My garden is only 3000 sq. feet. 

[Motlife]

8 hours ago, JasonD said:

I wonder whether high temperature spikes in San Francisco are accompanied by lower humidity than in Christchurch.  Also, the sudden change from weeks or months in summer running between 10–13C and 18C–20C every day (with 55–85% humidity) to 28C or 34C for two or three days might be a factor in the puka's leaves burning.

Than, I'd advise planting in as much shade as possible. They do very well here in shade, despite our general chill and constant sea breeze. It's an ideal plant, really, for tight urban spaces for this reason. Shadows and wind tunnels are our specialty!

Christchurch does bounce up and down in temp a lot too, but that can happen all year and it's common to get the occasional day around 30 in the spring too, so maybe that gives them enough preparation. Either way, I think they look better grown in a dense garden with a bit of shade so if Than has a spot like that they should go well! 

[Motlife]

46 minutes ago, Than said:

I've read that rata is a huge tree. My garden is only 3000 sq. feet. 

They get to a similar size to pohutukawa, but tend to grow taller where pohutukawa spreads. But that might just be because pohutukawa often grows on cliffs and bluffs near the sea where not much grows, whereas northern rata grows in forest. They don't grow super fast and you'd be able to trim it to keep it manageable. Plus the big ones are probably at least a couple of hundred years old, and have enveloped a tree that was already substantial! 

[Than]

On 2/1/2024 at 10:42 AM, Motlife said:

They get to a similar size to pohutukawa, but tend to grow taller where pohutukawa spreads. But that might just be because pohutukawa often grows on cliffs and bluffs near the sea where not much grows, whereas northern rata grows in forest. They don't grow super fast and you'd be able to trim it to keep it manageable. Plus the big ones are probably at least a couple of hundred years old, and have enveloped a tree that was already substantial! 

Reviving an old thread, do you know if Metrosideros excelsa has destructive roots? How many metres away from the house should it be? Do people in NZ plant it near houses? 

[Jonathan]

Than, I wouldn't! They get pretty big and the roots can snake around.

Have you considered Banksia integrifolia? Very attractive tree, fast growing and with no root issues at all. I've got one within 3m of my house, not a problem.

Grows well on sand or clay, drought hardy, frost hardy...

[Rivera]

On 1/18/2026 at 11:38 AM, Than said:

Reviving an old thread, do you know if Metrosideros excelsa has destructive roots? How many metres away from the house should it be? Do people in NZ plant it near houses? 

These are our most common street tree in my neighborhood in San Francisco, and while there are many of them planted in close proximity to homes and other structure, I wouldn't recommend it. 

As Jonathan noted, their eventual size is truly enormous. They're vigorous, and I can only imagine what is going on below ground.

[Darold Petty]

Planting a Metrosideros excelsa in my tiny, 8m wide garden was the worst landscape design choice I have made.  I did have two, but fortunately was able to remove one several years ago.  This tree is far too vigorous and aggressive a grower for a small space.

[Than]

6 minutes ago, Rivera said:

These are our most common street tree in my neighborhood in San Francisco, and while there are many of them planted in close proximity to homes and other structure, I wouldn't recommend it. 

As Jonathan noted, their eventual size is truly enormous. They're vigorous, and I can only imagine what is going on below ground.

Thank you; I have written it off my list. I am left with Banksia, Lagunaria, (thank you Australia!) Avocado and Syagrus (will need raised beds with lots of acidic soil, sulfur etc) for canopy. I'll plant all of them and then perhaps get rid of Lagunaria if Banksia is already big enough. I also have an eriobotrya growing, slowly but steadily.

@Darold Petty Thanks a lot, 8m is my garden maximum width too, roughly. Length is thankfully much bigger.

[Motlife]

I agree with all the above, they're very big trees and I've heard they cause havoc with pipes and footpaths when planted as street trees in San Francisco. However, there are a number of cultivates and hybrids that grow to a much more manageable size, often based around the kermadec pohutukawa. Theres a Tahitian species as well that might do well for you. However I have no clue what would be available for you in Europe. I just put "what pohutukawa cultivars are suitable for a small garden" into google and it gave a decent list of what's available, you could then search around and see what has made it to your part of the world!

I don't know what your garden design plans are like, but pohutukawa do a couple of things really well. The multiple stems are good at making a nice canopy well letting you see through, and the bark is ideal for growing epiphytes on if you like the idea of having orchids, bromeliads etc up off the ground. In saying that, those other trees could be just as suitable, but I'll always put in a plug for the nz species over the Aussies haha! 

[Motlife]

Just thinking about what I wrote, they don't seem to have as many issues with roots getting into things here. Perhaps thats due to the lack of summer moisture in California VS here (it's raining right now). Which would make me think you'd have the same problems in Greece with roots going everywhere searching for water 

[Jonathan]

4 hours ago, Than said:

I'll plant all of them and then perhaps get rid of Lagunaria if Banksia is already big enough. I also have an eriobotrya growing, slowly but steadily.

Good idea Than...that's probably what I'd do too, just plant them all and see who performs best. I'll put money on them all going well and you won't need to remove anything!

[Than]

1 hour ago, Motlife said:

Just thinking about what I wrote, they don't seem to have as many issues with roots getting into things here. Perhaps thats due to the lack of summer moisture in California VS here (it's raining right now). Which would make me think you'd have the same problems in Greece with roots going everywhere searching for water 

True; plus those cultivars are impossible to get in these parts of the world..

[Motlife]

1 hour ago, Than said:

True; plus those cultivars are impossible to get in these parts of the world..

That's a shame! Maybe there's a business idea for someone to bring them in, there's probably lots of species and cultivars from this part of the world that would grow well but aren't available elsewhere 

[Than]

8 hours ago, Motlife said:

That's a shame! Maybe there's a business idea for someone to bring them in, there's probably lots of species and cultivars from this part of the world that would grow well but aren't available elsewhere 

I bought Merita seeds from a NZ seller a year back. He told me he had just harvested them. None sprouted. I was so disappointed.