Browse plants / Proteaceae
Ivory curl flower Buckinghamia celsissima
Also called Ivory curl
When it flowers
- January, flowering
- February, flowering
- March, flowering
- April, not flowering
- May, not flowering
- June, not flowering
- July, not flowering
- August, not flowering
- September, not flowering
- October, not flowering
- November, not flowering
- December, flowering
Neat small tree covered in long, scented cream flower spikes in summer.
A rainforest tree from north Queensland that stays a compact small tree in gardens. In summer it is covered in long, curling cream flower spikes that bees love. A popular street tree in Brisbane and further south in frost-free areas.
In the garden
- Scent
- Fragrant flowers
- Flowers
- Long cream flower spikes with curling styles, lightly honey-scented.
- Leaves
- Glossy, dark green leaves; young leaves often lobed.
- Attracts
- Birds, pollinating insects and butterflies
Growing conditions
- Climate
- Tropical, subtropical and temperate
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Sandy, loam and clay
- Drainage
- Needs good drainage
- Frost
- Light frost
- Water
- Some dry spells
- Coast
- Sheltered coastal gardens
Planting and care
- Grown from
- Seed
Planting
Full sun in well-drained soil, sheltered from frost while young.
Pruning
Little pruning needed.
Care
Use a low-phosphorus native fertiliser. Water through dry summers while young.
Where it comes from
- Family
- Proteaceae
- Order
- Proteales
- Native to
- Queensland
- Natural range
- Rainforest of the north Queensland tropics.
Where to buy
Widely available.
We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.
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Further reading
- Buckinghamia celsissima on the Atlas of Living Australia (Atlas of Living Australia)
Native nurseries near you
An independent list of nurseries that specialise in Australian native plants. Nobody pays to be on it. Distances are approximate and in a straight line. Opening hours and stock vary, so check before you go.