By Beatrice Hawkins
At the moment on the corner of Albion and Fitzroy Streets there is a silk tree in spectacular bloom. They are a really beautiful tree with the powder puff blossoms covering the canopy. This particular specimen has deep pink/red blossoms and is a real show stopper. As this is the corner I use every time I come and go down town I get to enjoy the sight frequently.
They are a tree I have admired for quite a while and would love to plant in my house yard. I have just the spot picked out and realise that it will make mowing a deal more difficult – but so what? I am the one that will have to navigate the problem!
The most commonly seen variety is pale pink but the one near the lights is a really lovely, vibrant colour. They are a relatively quick growing tree, Albizi julibrissin, named after an Italian nobleman who introduced it to Europe from the Middle East in the mid 18th century.
They are a nitrogen fixing tree that can grow almost a metre per year and to 5-7 metres fully grown. They have a lovely arching habit, almost like an umbrella. Like many fast growing trees the wood is fairly weak and brittle and the branches can break off with strong wind. It can take anywhere from 2 to 5 years for your tree to bloom and the resulting seed pods are toxic to humans and animals, so care is needed.
The best time of the year to plant one is either spring or autumn. As my son has one growing in his yard in Tamworth where they get heavy frosts, they must be fairly frost tolerant but I would think that, like a lot of things, they would need a bit of protection until established. I’ll have to see if I can find one of the red flowering beauties ready for an autumn planting, if by then, we will be able to water gardens.
Another tree that I am enjoying as I drive out of my street is a yellow flowering “racehorse tree”. The name amuses me as much as the lovely yellow flowers delight me! The botanical name is almost as amusing – “tipuana tipu”.
It is a fast growing tree reaching 10 metres in 5 years. It is a beautiful spreading shade tree in a neighbour’s front yard. Deep green leaves offset the bright yellow blooms that at the moment are carpeting the nature strip and road. It would look spectacular alongside a jacaranda as they bloom at about the same time. Just imagine what a spectacular carpet you would have with them growing together. Some of the other common names are yellow jacaranda, pride of Bolivia and rosewood and they are native to South America.
I have seen it used very effectively as a street tree in some outback towns but unfortunately it is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland so care should be taken where it is planted. Its seeds readily germinate in disturbed soil as in roadsides, etc. I haven’t noticed any coming up in my neighbour’s yard.
The lovely snail plant that a reader gave me is growing well. In the last week it has really taken off and is reaching to climb the frame. The honeysuckle that I thought had died, has also revived and is now thriving as also is the orange trumpet vine. Maybe this is an indication of a change coming in the seasons?!
The loganberry bushes are feeling the heat but are still growing well. My gloriosa lilies in the pots, are thriving and I just love the way they climb via the tendrils at the end of the leaves. Buds have formed so I will have blooms soon that will, as usual, look spectacular. It is really a lovely climber to grow in a pot if you have a suitable spot. Please don’t put it straight into the ground as it can become an environmental problem as I’ve said previously.
I also have some arum lilies in pots that are growing well but are not flowering true to colour. I bought a beautiful deep red variety that flowered beautifully the first year but has since reverted to white with a pink blush to the edge of the bloom. Another was a nice, happy, yellow and likewise, it is only producing white flowers. They still have the decorative spotted leaves so I suppose all is not lost and they look lush and healthy down the side of my house. The clematis have both stopped flowering but are looking nice and healthy and climbing steadily on the mesh.
As I write this we are experiencing a few really hot and dry days but, hopefully, by the time you read it, we will have had some really good rain that will make the remaining few weeks to Christmas more enjoyable.
*This is an old article that has been digitised so our readers have access to our full catalogue.
