Browse plants / Myrtaceae
Brush box Lophostemon confertus
Previously known as Tristania conferta
When it flowers
- January, not flowering
- February, not flowering
- March, not flowering
- April, not flowering
- May, not flowering
- June, not flowering
- July, not flowering
- August, not flowering
- September, not flowering
- October, not flowering
- November, flowering
- December, flowering
Dense, tough shade tree with white summer flowers; one of the most planted street trees.
A large tree from rainforest margins with a dense crown and smooth salmon-pink upper bark. Feathery white flowers appear in early summer. It is planted along streets across eastern Australia for its toughness and shade, but it gets big.
In the garden
- Flowers
- Feathery white flowers in clusters.
- Leaves
- Glossy leaves clustered at the branch tips; rough lower bark and smooth salmon upper bark.
- Attracts
- Birds, pollinating insects and shelter for small wildlife
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
Sun or part shade in most soils. Allow at least 5 m from buildings, pipes and boundaries.
Pruning
Little pruning needed. Clips into a tall hedge if started young.
Care
Hardy once established.
Safety
Allow at least 5 m from buildings, pipes and boundaries.
Where it comes from
- Family
- Myrtaceae
- Order
- Myrtales
- Native to
- New South Wales and Queensland
- Natural range
- Rainforest margins and wet forest of coastal Queensland and northern NSW.
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
- Lophostemon confertus 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.