Pohutukawas in the city

The city is ablaze with the flowering of our traditional Christmas tree, the pohutukawa.

The roadside verges are full of young trees, in the flush of their first flowering.

Others have grown tall and skinny,

reaching to the sky with their bright offerings,

And some are small and straggly. The main thing is, they are everywhere! and people are still planting them. Some of the huge trees are magnificent, but it wasn't safe to stop and photograph them as I drove around the city today.

Red is such a positive, life-affirming colour. Even though the weather has been rather grey and rainy, our brightly flowering Christmas trees bring good cheer to the city.