Pohutakawa

Name   Cassidy    Date24/6/19

Pōhutakawa Junior Journal 45 

Because the pōhutukawa has red flowers and it blooms
in December, it is often thought of as New Zealand’s
Christmas              tree. The pōhutukawa is special to Maori,
and it provides a     habitat         and food for many creatures. 

Pōhutukawa prefer to grow in warm places by the sea, and they
have special           feature       which help them grow in sandy soil.
The top of its leaves are shiny and green with a     waxy            coating
which helps protect them from the salt, sun and dry conditions. 

The     bark             is rough which protects the tree from losing water
through its trunk and branches. New flower buds have a special covering
which helps     protect              them from wind and salt.
The roots grow deep into the soil or sand. They take water from the
ground to help them grow and stand up. 

Pōhutukawa provide a home and food for birds,     insect         and other
creatures. Some      seabird       such as shags make their nests in their
branches. Other birds, like the tui, eat the   nectar                from the
flowers. Lizards and pekapeka also like to eat the nectar. Insects such
as weevils and moths eat the leaves, flowers, wood and bark, and live
in the dead      leaves            under the trees. 

protect	Christmas	habitat	waxy	insects
seabirds	Nectar	leaves	features	bark

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