ANGOPHORA costata

An attractive tree with smooth pink bark and gnarled branches. The old bark is shed in spring in large flakes with the new salmon pink bark turning to pale grey before the next shedding.

Showy white flowers occur profusely in large bunches. The individual flowers are about 2 cm wide with five tooth-like sepals, five larger semi-circular petals, and a large number of long stamens.

Endemic to New South Wales and Queensland.

Prefers a light to heavy stony soil in an open sunny position. It is drought and frost resistant.

Although seed can be sown most of the year in Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn in temperate climates, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 18-22°C for this species.

1. Sow seed at a depth of 1-2 mm in a porous seed raising mix.
2. Water with fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
3. Place in a warm shaded or semi shaded position to avoid dying out.
4. Keep warm & moist, avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.
5. Germination generally occurs in around 10-28 days in the right condition.

General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.

Growing Native Plants

Botanic Gardens of South Australia

Wikipedia