A pōhutukawa protection group fears myrtle rust could change the face of New Zealand's Christmas.
There have now been 136 discoveries of the fungal disease, after the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) found a second infection in Auckland on related ramarama plants.
Myrtle rust is a fungus that attacks and can potentially seriously affect myrtle species plants - including some significant natives such as pōhutukawa, ramarama, mānuka, and rātā.
Project Crimson Trustee Ruud Kleinpaste says it's a massive concern.
"If you look around Auckland right now in November and December you see pōhutukawa coming into flower everywhere," he says.
"Now imagine if this hideous rust would basically stop all their future."
Mr Kleinpaste hopes genetic research will discover a strain of pōhutukawa that can live with myrtle rust, so the population can survive.
"We need to try to find varieties that may some resistance to this particular fungus," he says.
"If we can find that we have a way of breeding some tolerance and resistance."
Mr Kleinpaste encourages everyone to check their gardens and local trees for the characteristic yellow spots.
Newshub.
