The Yellow Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa ‘Aurea’) is a rare colour form. It is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of yellow flowers made up of a mass of stamens. This yellow-flowered form “Aurea” descends from a pair discovered in 1840 on Motiti Island of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty by a Mr Potts. This coastal tree can reach 20m in height.

Below is part of an article in the New Zealand Garden Journal, 2010, Vol. 13(1) “M. excelsa ‘Aurea’: a greenish yellow-flowered variant that originated on Motiti Island in the Bay of Plenty. It was first offered for sale in a 1947 Duncan & Davies Nursery Catalogue (no. 97). For many years Duncan& Davies produced it from seed only and all seedlings remained relatively true to type with yellow flowers (Hobbs, 1992). Green (1975) incorrectly assumed that it was grown from cuttings to maintain its flower colour. Metcalf (1987, 2000) states that all cultivated material is derived from two trees discovered on Motiti Island about 1940. Simpson (2005) states that naturally occurring yellow-flowered variants are relatively common on Motiti Island.” This yellow species of Pohutukawa is a taonga to the Maori, a valued treasure.