Midstorey

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Water gum Tristaniopsis laurina

Also called Kanooka

Previously known as Tristania laurina

When it flowers

Tristaniopsis laurina
Photo: Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Tristaniopsis laurina. An attractive small tree in the family Myrtaceae. A good display of small yellow flowers. Very hardy. An excellent street tree. Native to Australian rainforest. Syn. Tristania …
Tristaniopsis laurina. An attractive small tree in the family Myrtaceae. A good display of small yellow flowers. Very hardy. An excellent street tree. Native to Australian rainforest. Syn. Tristania …. Photo: Tatiana Gerus from Brisbane, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
She has decorated her house with parts of the flowers of the host plant. Very pretty. A case moth, a species of Psychidae, on a Water Gum, Tristaniopsis laurina. Paruna Reserve, Como NSW Australia, D…
She has decorated her house with parts of the flowers of the host plant. Very pretty. A case moth, a species of Psychidae, on a Water Gum, Tristaniopsis laurina. Paruna Reserve, Como NSW Australia, D…. Photo: John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Neat, dense small tree with smooth mottled bark and yellow summer flowers, good for streets.

A creek-side tree with glossy leaves and smooth, peeling, cream-and-brown bark. Small clusters of yellow flowers appear in summer. It stays neat and dense, copes with wet soil and is a common street tree; 'Luscious' is a popular larger-leaved selection.

In the garden

  • Feature plant
  • Screening
  • Shade tree
  • Street or verge
Flowers
Clusters of small yellow star-shaped flowers.
Leaves
Glossy, narrow dark green leaves, red in cold weather; smooth, mottled peeling bark.
Attracts
Birds, pollinating insects and shelter for small wildlife

Growing conditions

Climate
Subtropical and temperate
Light
Full sun to part shade
Soil
Sandy, loam and clay
Drainage
Copes with waterlogging
Frost
Moderate frost
Water
Some dry spells
Coast
Sheltered coastal gardens

Planting and care

Grown from
Seed and cuttings

Planting

Sun or part shade; happy in damp spots and by ponds. Allow 2 m from paths.

Pruning

Little pruning needed. Lift lower branches to show the bark.

Care

Water in dry spells while young; prefers moist soil.

Where it comes from

Family
Myrtaceae
Order
Myrtales
Native to
New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria
Natural range
Banks of rivers and creeks from south-east Queensland to East Gippsland.

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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