A handsome, statuesque tree.  Due to its size and form the Norfolk Island Pine can provide a good contrast to other landscape elements and is a feature of many Australian coastal towns.

Norfolk Island Pine showing tall, tiered effect.

Origin

Norfolk Island

Description:

Specific epithet refers to the distinction between the juvenile and adult leaves.  Juvenile leaves narrow, incurved, generally softer, while adult leaves are rigid, overlapping and lanceolate.  Grey-black bark, flaking, deep pink beneath.  Branches are held in horizontal whorls of 4-7.  Ovoid to globose female cones found in small numbers held upright in the uppermost branches.   Growth rate is reported as being fast, however will be dependent on nursery production method, landscape site conditions and after-care maintenance.

Tolerances:

A large tree that can adapt to a range of soil conditions (as long as well drained) and is drought tolerant once established.  Moderate tolerance to waterlogged soils.  High tolerance of winds also salt laden winds in coastal situations. Not seriously affected by pest or disease.

Root space:

Based on mature size, tree would require approximately 176m2 area or 106m3 root volume. (Crown projection method based on 15m diameter canopy due to narrow form of species).

Availability:

Common.

Uses & management:

The most widely cultivated of the araucarias. Norfolk Island Pine is well suited to coastal situations where, in Australia, it has become an iconic species.  Possibly used in coastal towns as landmarks for shipping.  Species is suited to urban landscapes, both coastal and inland.  Also used as street tree where space allows (Zone of upheaval 4.0m to 5.0m diameter) .  Good tree for open space. Norfolk Island Pine can also be used as an indoor plant and is often seen as a Christmas tree.
Prune to central trunk otherwise little pruning is required.  Supplemental irrigation to establish trees is essential.
Roots are surface orientated and can lift hard surfaces.  Consideration will need to be given to allowing room for both upper crown development and root buttress expansion.

Featured Tree© Tree Logic Pty Ltd 2008
Ref:
Rowell, R. J. (1996) Ornamental conifers for Australian gardens. UNSW Press.
Spencer, R. (1995) Horticultural flora of South-Eastern Australia. Ferns, conifers & their allies. UNSW Press.

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Blue-green, hairy foliage is an unusual characteristic that provides contrast to adjacent green vegetation. The fibrous or fissured bark is also distinct from many wattles. Masses of bright yellow flower spikes are a feature in spring.
This species is adapted to dry sites and has a high drought tolerance.
Useful small to medium tree in urban landscapes.

Origin Common on the coast, central tablelands and central western slopes of N.S.W. and Eastern Victoria near the Snowy River (Upper). Scattered, mostly on rocky slopes near rivers or creek gullies.
Habit:
Long-lived, large shrub to small erect or spreading tree, with a broad domed canopy. In its natural environment, height varies from 2-16m. In cultivation, mature height could be expected to reach approximately 5-8m high x 5-8m wide.
Description:
Slightly corrugated to fissured bark, fibrous-flaky, grey or dark brown. Branchlets flattened and hairy. Blue-grey phyllodes, narrowly elliptical to falcate, 6-15cm x 5-25mm, covered in fine hairs and silvery hue. 1-5 inflorescences in axil of phyllodes, spike heads cylindrical, 2-6 cm long, pale to bright golden yellow in spring. Pods straight to slightly curved, flat but slightly raised over seeds, straight-sided to slightly, or occasionally more deeply, constricted between seeds, 2-8.5 cm long, 2.5-5 mm wide.
Tolerances:
Adaptable species, tolerant of alkaline soils and has a high drought tolerance. Root space: Based on mature size tree would require approximately 50m2 area or 30m3 root volume (crown projection method).
Availability:
Common in N.S.W nurseries. Occasional in other States
Uses & management:
Can be used as an alternative to Cootamundra Wattle, which can become weedy. Silvery foliage provides excellent contrast. It is an adaptable species growing in a range of situations in its natural habitat, from coastal areas to dry open forests. Could be used as small dominant tree or as an understorey planting. Is reported to be toxic to stock.

Ref:
Costermans, L. 2003, Native trees and shrubs of South-eastern Australia, Reed New Holland, Australia
Costermans, L. 2006, Supplement to native trees and shrubs of South-eastern Australia: changes and additional species,
Costermans Publishing, Australia
Kodela, P.G. 2005,
Acacia binervia
(J.C.Wendl.) J.F.Macbr., New South Wales Flora Online,
Maslin B. R. (Coordinator) 2001, WATTLE Acacias of Australia. CSIRO Publishing

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Lustrous, dark green foliage, with pendulous branchlets against the dark bark make for an attractive tree. The crown is typically quite dense.

Although tolerant of extended dry periods, it prefers moist soils to develop best specimens.
Good tree for urban landscapes. Useful species for screens and informal hedges.
Flower and fruit are bird and insect attracting.

Widespread in riverine rainforest, often lining stream banks; north from the Hunter Valley extending into Queensland.

Medium evergreen tree with a narrow domed form while young developing to a broad domed crown. A mature height of about 10-20 m x 7-15 m wide. Weeping Lilly Pilly can grow to 30 metres in height in its natural habitat although it is usually much smaller in cultivation.

Leaves lance-shaped to elliptical which taper to a point. Lustrous, dark green, lighter green below, undulate margins. Develops a relatively dense canopy at maturity. White flowers on many-flowered panicles, appear from late spring to mid summer and are followed by round fruits 15 -20 mm in diameter and green in colour, maturing with a pink to red tinge. Finely fissured, dark grey bark.

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, prefers acid soils. Once established it will tolerate extended dry conditions but is at its best when assured water is available. Will tolerate waterlogged conditions. Position away from windy sites. It will grow well in light shade. Moderate to low tolerance for root disturbance/construction impacts. Transplants easily. Prone to scale infestations.

Based on 75% of mature size (in urban landscapes) tree would require approximately 113m2 area or 67m3 root volume (crown projection method).

A widely cultivated tree, well suited to urban landscapes. Good street and open space tree. Prune to central trunk otherwise little pruning is required. Good screen plant but will require pruning/hedging at least twice a year. Fruit litter is not as problematic as other Lilly Pillys.
Variety known as ‘Sweeper’ has more pronounced weeping habit with lush green new growth with more pronounced undulation to margin.

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Featured Tree© Tree Logic Pty Ltd 2008
Ref:
Australian Society for Growing Australian Plants (2008) as seen here
National Herbarium of New South Wales (2008) as seen here

An excellent, medium sized deciduous tree. Very useful urban tree where an adaptable but ornamentally attractive tree is required. Tolerates enclosed, confined root spaces. Bark is thin and can be easily damaged by mechanical injury. Transplants easily with moderate to fast growth rate.

Cultivar. Dark glossy leaves, drought resistance, orange to red fall colour and a smaller ultimate size are inherited from Shantung Maple (Acer truncatum). The Norway parent (Acer platanoides) contributes faster growth, calliper development at an early age, larger leaves and adaptability to varied growing conditions.

Medium deciduous tree with a narrow upright form while young developing to a broad domed crown. Its fine textured branch structure evolves to a rounded crown and a mature height of about 10-12 m x 7-10 m wide.

Leaves palmate, glossy, dark green turning yellow to scarlet in autumn. Thick bark, grey-black, becoming lightly ridged and furrowed with age. Flowers are green, inconspicuous, borne in panicles.

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions including both slightly alkaline and acid soils. Tolerant of drought and air pollution. Grows well in limited soil space in urban areas. Transplants easily, and is generally free of any serious pests or diseases.

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An excellent, medium sized evergreen tree for urban landscapes. Tolerates drought and changes to growing environment.
Transplants easily with moderate to fast growth rate.

Widespread and common in central and eastern Victoria extending into New South Wales. Found in extensive stands in poor stony and shallow soils, requires well drained soil for good performance.
Two other subspecies; subsp. polyanthemos, found in central NSW, which has mainly smooth bark and subsp. lonigor, a taller growing tree from Bairnsdale east to NSW

Medium evergreen tree with a narrow domed form while young developing to a broad domed crown, sometimes several stemmed. A mature height of about 7-20 m x 5-15 m wide.

Rounded to broadly ovate, slate grey-green to glaucous leaves. Develops a relatively dense canopy at maturity. Terminally held flower buds and fruit in groups of 7 with rounded operculum. White flowers. Finely fissured, dark grey bark persistent to small branches.

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions including both slightly alkaline and acid soils as long as they are well drained. Tolerant of drought. Moderate to high tolerance for root disturbance/construction impacts. Transplants easily, and is generally free of any serious pests or diseases.

Based on 75% of mature size tree would require approximately 130m2 area or 75m3 root volume (crown projection method).

A widely cultivated tree, well suited to urban landscapes. Can develop multiple trunks, prune to central trunk otherwise little pruning is required. Resistant to major pests.
Good street and open space tree.

Featured Tree© Tree Logic Pty Ltd 2007
Ref:
EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia. Third Edition 2006, CD-ROM, Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research in assoc. with CSIRO Publishing
Nicole, D. (2006) Eucalypts of Victoria and Tasmania. Bloomings Books

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Medium deciduous tree with an oval to pyramidal form. Mature height of about 10-12 m x 7-10 m wide.

Dense crown of foliage. Leaves are dark green glossy, simple, ovate with undulating margins, alternating on thornless branches, turning red in autumn. Thin, grey-black bark, which can be damaged by mechanical impact. Flowers are pure white and profuse in spring followed by small, pea-sized, red/brown fruits.

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions including both slightly alkaline and acid soils. Tolerant of drought, poorly drained soils, compaction and air pollution. Grows well in limited soil space in urban areas. Transplants easily.

Prune trees early in their life to space lateral branches along a central trunk, otherwise not a lot of pruning required to develop good structure. Only buy trees with well-spaced branches. Tree will require periodic crown lifting to maintain clearances.
Fruit are persistent on tree with no significant litter problem.
‘Aristocrat’ pear is very susceptible to fire blight (Not an immediate concern in Australia). Trees can be infested with aphids and scale. Borers can attack damaged areas.
Good street tree, car parks, pavement cut outs other restricted soil spaces.

Ref:
Gilman, E. F., (1997), Trees for Urban and Suburban Landscapes, Delmar.
http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/PYRCALA.pdf
Northern trees; as seen at http://orb2.at.ufl.edu/TREESServlet?command=getNorthernTree&classoid=4840
Fleming’s Nurseries, Pty, Ltd, Monbulk, Australia.

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Here’s an interesting piece of historically significant information regarding the palms referred to in your above article in Newsletter 4.

It’s very likely not the first time these palms have been re-located.

These are most likely the Phoenix that originally came from the main axis avenue on the Parkville campus of The University of Melbourne. They were first moved as mature specimens in preparation for the construction of the South Lawn Car Park in the early 1970’s. Interestingly, rather than fell the trees to waste, they were offered to the developers in a contra deal that saw them removed at no cost to the University.

The Canary Island Date Palm is one of the most widely cultivated ornamental palms in the world. The species has enjoyed a reputation as a hardy tree that will tolerate a wide range of soil types and climactic conditions that has made it highly suitable for the Australian landscape (Jones 1989).
Not self-cleaning, so the old leaves need to be cut off. An architectural tree that also makes a good avenue tree and can help provide a Mediterranean landscape character.

Origin: Canary Islands, off north/eastern Africa

Description: Very large (to about 20m), majestic palm, with a tall, solid trunk, with a broad crown of large, arching, divided feathery leaves with spined petioles held on sturdy dark grey trunk.

Tolerances: Adaptable to a wide range of soil types, grows best in full sun, well drained position. Has moderate to high drought tolerance and tolerance to frost and salt spray. Transplants easily as a mature tree. Although the species is renowned for its hardiness, it like most other plant species will suffer the effects of waterlogged or saline soils. Drought will also affect the well being of this palm species particularly in sandy soils. Zinc and nitrogen deficiencies often found in costal soils will affect the growth and appearance of the Canary Island Date Palm, as will alkaline soils. Seedlings are quite slow, but speed up considerably once they start to trunk
A significant threat to palm species in particular the Canary Island Date Palm is Fusarium wilt, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. canariensis. Fusarium wilt is a true wilt disease where plant decline and death is as a direct result of the loss of function of the water conducting cells within the plant.

Availability: Usually transplanted as a mature tree. Specialist nurseries or salvaged from older landscapes.

Reference: Jones, D. (1989), Palms in Australia. Reed
Spencer, R. (2005) Horticultural flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5, Flowering plants: monocotyledons. University of New South Wales Press Ltd.

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Origin: Disjunct populations are found from the Cape York Peninsula southwards to the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, but the greatest concentration of the population is in the dryer areas of the Illawarra Range.

Habit: Typically 10-15m x 8-10m

Description: Semi-deciduous, maple-like foliage and fantastic flower display of masses of bright scarlet flowers that come out just before Christmas. These flowers are frequently followed by long follicle fruits.

Tolerances: Succeeds in many conditions

Notes: The fruits don’t seem to have the itchy character found with B. populneus.

Root space: Based on mature size tree would require approximately 47m3 root volume (Crown projection method).

Availability: Common.

Reference: Spencer, R. 1997, Horticultural flora of south-eastern Australia, Volume 2, University of New South Wales Press.

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It will tolerate a variety of environmental conditions. As it ages it can develop an interesting knarled form (The fruit drop can be messy!!) It’s quick to establish and provide a dominant, attractive canopy in the landscape. It has attractive flowers and soft foliage that provides dappled shade. In winter it has yellow berries making it interesting all year round.

Origin
Queensland and New South Wales.

Habit:
Small deciduous tree. Wide spreading, broad domed canopy that develops a marked layered appearance. Fast growth rate, mature size ranges between 6-10m high x 5-8m wide.

Description:
Leaves bipinnate, large, glossy, and fresh green coloured. Bark a dark brown with shallow fissures when young becoming grey-brown and furrowed with age. Flowers purplish mauve borne in diffuse panicles in spring. Yellow berries persist during the winter.

Tolerances:
Adapts to most soils. Moderate waterlogging and drought tolerance. Not seriously affected by pest or disease.

Root space:
Based on mature size tree would require approximately 50m2 area or 30m3 root volume (crown projection method).

Availability:

Common.

Notes:
A handsome tree, berry persistence amongst winter tracery adds an element of interest, though eventual fruit drop can be a problem. Germinates readily in the right conditions, is a weed species in the northern states. Requires formative pruning.

Ref: Kellow, J. (Ed) (1994) Landscape plant manual:
Vol. 1, V.C.A.H Burnley College, Australia.

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