Sharon Semmens is gutted someone deliberately poisoned a pōhutukawa tree planted in memory of her grandfather near Kaikōura.

The poisoning of a pōhutukawa tree planted as a memorial 70 years ago has left its owner "absolutely devastated" and searching for answers.

Sharon Semmens, of Oaro south of Kaikōura, said she discovered evidence of foul play against the tree last week.

Someone had drilled holes into the tree, which was located on her family's property on Waitane Rd.

SUPPLIED A pōhutukawa tree planted in memory of Walter William Clough has been deliberately poisoned.

"The sad things is l was only leaving it to flower, after all it's New Zealand's Christmas tree, and then I was going to have it cut back," she said.

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"I'm beside myself, just absolutely devastated – for me it's like losing another family member. It's totally malicious. There is no room for wilful damage or vandalism in our society."

SUPPLIED Simmens discovered three large holes drilled into the tree's trunk had been filled with poison.

The tree was planted by Semmens' parents in 1951 in memory of her grandfather, Walter William Clough, who was born in 1905.

Semmens hopes the tree will recover, but is not optimistic. She has washed out the holes with sugar water as advised by an arborist, but fears it is too late.

"The holes drilled in the trunk have been filled with poison and are the depth of a large drill. I hope the monument to my family and grandfather will survive, but to be honest it's not looking good, it's looking worse by the day."

SUPPLIED The pōhutukawa in flower. Semmens is worried she will never see this again after someone deliberately poisoned the tree.

Semmens believed the tree had been poisoned gradually over the past month, at night.

She was disappointed she had never been approached by anyone asking her to cut back the tree, as she had an arborist booked in to do it once it finished flowering.

Because the tree sits under power lines, she had an arrangement with MainPower to keep it clear of the lines, but now she cannot touch it for fear of making it worse.

While the pōhutukawa tree is native to New Zealand, and protected in many parts of the country, there is no blanket protection of native trees in Kaikōura.

"I just think it's such a shame. There are lots of beautiful old trees down here, like big karaka trees with Māori royalty buried under them," Semmens said.

As well as being the country's signal that Christmas is here, pōhutukawa are revered in Māori mythology. Legends tell of how young Māori warrior Tawhaki tried to find help from heaven to avenge his father's death. He wasn't successful, instead falling from the heavens, and the pōhutukawa's crimson flowers are said to represent his blood.

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