Corymbia ficifolia
Corymbia ficifolia is one of the most outstanding flowering trees in Australia with its masses of conspicuous flowers of red or vermillion-orange (rarely pink) that cover the canopy in summer, followed by large woody egg-shaped fruits known as honkey nuts.
This flowering gum grows up to 12 metres with rough non-shedding bark and usually a rounded and dense crown, making it an excellent shade tree. Its oval leaves are distinctive as they are dark green on top and paler green on their undersides.
It is a Western Australian native tree naturally restricted to the far south-west of WA, generally in the Walpole-Mt Frankland region, but with several small outlying populations further to the east. It grows on sandy soils in low-lying areas of heath or woodland.
Corymbia ficifolia is widely grown as an ornamental tree throughout northern New Zealand, with many cultivars and hybrids also now available making it suitable for a range of environments.