Posts Tagged ‘angophora costata’

• Mr Lichen Lips

  Date: 2008.11.10 | Category: Horticulture | Response: 4

  We have a very beautiful tree in our garden. It is an Angophora costata, commonly known as Apple Gum. It is a native tree from the Northern states of Australia. Specifically Queensland and NSW. These trees are an outstanding ornamental, they have the most amazing trunks ever! The bark is quite smooth but it sheds in flakes to reveal bright pink and orange new bark, just stunning. The trunks are so beautiful, they really do deserve a big hug! The other wonderful thing about this tree is its absolute profuse flowering habit. It really brings in the bees and in fact, you can buy Apple Gum Honey.

  

  This is a beautiful specimen courtesy of the North Sydney Council website.

  Now my particularly beautiful specimen is planted on the old ‘Long Drop.’ For those people who are not familiar with the Aussie vernacular, ‘Long Drop’ roughly translates as ‘ Outside Toilet’ or ‘Outdoor Dunny.’ Basically a big hole in the ground that when full is covered over and a tree is planted on top!

  The other wonderful thing about our Angophora is that he has become inhabited. Now it seems he has earned the dubious title of ‘Lichen Lips.’ He gets a wide berth when passing from my little boy. But he keeps an eye on things in the garden and most of the time appears to be quite happy