Hi Chavez It seems to have been adopted as our Xmas tree because it comes into bloom around Xmas time and the crimson colour reminded people of the flowers of the traditional Xmas holly plant. It was named by Maori before European settlement. According to the Oxford Dictionary of New Zealand English the earliest written reference was in the 1820 NZ Grammar and Vocabulary by Lee and Kendall - here it was spelt, 'Poutu kaua' Jamie Mackay