Firecracker Metrosideros

Firecracker Metrosideros (Metrosideros 'Firecracker') is the screening shrub for the hardest positions on a block: salt wind, thin soil and full exposure. It grows to around 3m tall and 2m wide, dense from the base, and covers itself in brush like scarlet flowers that honeyeaters find within days. New Zealand bred, it brings pohutukawa toughness to a shrub that fits a suburban fence line.

Why you'll love it

• Salt and wind barely register. The leathery leaves are built for exposed coastal blocks, where softer screening plants brown off and thin out.
• Screening height without a tree. About 3m by 2m covers a standard fence, with no root or overhang problems on a small block.
• Scarlet flowers that bring birds in. Heavy flushes of red brushes through the warmer months, and good nectar for a coastal garden.
• Drought tolerant once established. After the first two summers it asks for little beyond an annual trim.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense screen. It responds well to clipping, so it can be held anywhere between 1.5m and its full 3m.

Coastal gardens and windbreaks. It takes front line salt exposure. On a windy block a staggered double row at 1m spacing filters the wind rather than blocking it.

Poolside and feature planting. Small leaves and light litter make it an easier neighbour to a pool than most flowering shrubs, and single plants clip into a tidy ball.

Growing Firecracker Metrosideros in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest growth and the heaviest flowering. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it takes light frost only, so cold inland districts and the tablelands are too much for it.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. It is happy in sand and poor coastal soil, but it sulks in wet clay, so plant on a raised mound and open the bed up with compost and coarse material.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off as the roots go down. A controlled release fertiliser in early spring is enough. Avoid heavy nitrogen, which pushes soft growth at the expense of flowers.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density. Trim after the main flowering flush, since the buds form on wood produced the previous season and a late cut removes next year's display.

What to expect when it arrives

We supply this variety in one size, a 45L plant. That is an advanced shrub, well over a metre tall and already branched, so a row reads as a screen from the day it goes in. Not the cheap way to plant a long boundary, but the fast one.

Plants this size are freighted upright and secured. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with delivery from $29.95 on standard orders and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect a quiet month while the roots move out, then strong growth through the first warm season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The best plants for coastal gardens
• How to create a hedge and keep it sharp
• Compare options in screening plants from 2m to 4m
• Browse the range of salt tolerant coastal plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One metre apart in a single row. At that spacing the canopies meet within two seasons and the screen stays furnished right down to ground level.

Can I keep it lower than 3m?

Yes. Two trims a year will hold it at 1.5m to 2m, and it reshoots readily from clipped wood so the hedge stays dense rather than woody.

Will it handle frost?

Light frost only, once it is established. In districts with regular heavy frosts it is the wrong plant, and a hardier screening shrub is the better choice.