Climate Ready Selections for the Southern parts of Australia

Jacaranda mimosifolia

When asking our team for relevant selections, the shout out to Jacaranda was loud and strong. To our knowledge, we have not experienced such a growing year as 2021. Stock is thriving, which is a nod to their ability to tolerate if not excel in moderately warmer temperatures, as well as the out of character seasonal weather variations we have experienced of late.  This popular specimen tree will feature well for the next 50 years.

Eucalyptus leucoxylon megalocarpa

This large fruited yellow gum is another suitable native for urban landscape projects. Growing to 8m tall, this form of Yellow Gum produces beautiful large bird attracting flowers. When the reliability of grafted flowering gums is in question and subject to variable planting success rates, this tree is a ready substitute for size and flower. And being able to handle a moderate increase in heat, its use as feature tree is expected to increase considerably going forward.

Corymbia maculata ‘Lowanna’

Spotted Gum is another that appears to suit a moderate increase in temperature. While the parent species growing 30m tall in ideal situations, is not suitable for urban landscapes, there is a more compact variety called ‘Lowanna’ creating quite a stir. Corymbia maculata ‘Lowanna’, growing to 8m tall, displays all the iconic Australian native attributes of its parent such as a spotted trunk, dark foliage and pendulous dense canopy but with a more manageable height – a perfect selection for that urban iconic native feature tree.

Pistacia chinensis

A deciduous colour favourite for many, the appeal of Chinese Pistachio is in its rounded form and stand-out autumnal colour. Big, brassy foliage in a range of golds, reds and oranges makes for a spectacular feature tree.  Pleasingly it performs well in southern parts of Australia as well as where temperatures are moderately higher, so this tree should remain firmly on your project planting list.

Melia azedarach

Melia is one of only a few deciduous Australian native trees in the marketplace. Its V-shaped form and pale bead-like fruits make it particularly pretty in cooler months when the berries are visible on bare limbs. At this point, you’d almost think the tree was Asian in origin! Size and interest, together with a well-formed dense canopy provided in summer, have made it a popular feature and street tree selection, which should remain the case for the next 30 years.