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Buckinghamia celsissima
Ivory Curl Flower
| This splendid flowering tree grows tall and slender in high-altitude tropical rainforests, reaching 90 feet. Planted in the open at lower altitudes, it takes on a bushy form from the ground up, seldom exceeding 40 feet. Deep green, 1-foot-long leaves, divided into lobes or leaflets, form a dense crown. From summer to late autumn it offers a glorious floral display: creamy, frilly spikes of delicately curling stamens, 8 to 12 inches long. In good years, these cover the tree and perfume the air. Though popular and widely planted in Australia, your only United States source may be an arboretum or botanical garden. Worth seeking out if you can provide the right conditions: mild year-round with ample water in summer, little or no frost in winter. Will not flower as well in high humidity. Needs a sheltered warm location with medium to heavy, well-drained but moist, acid soil. Drought-resistant. Recovers from slight frost damage with new spring growth, flushed red or pink. Grow from fresh seed, covered lightly, or take cuttings from branch tips soon after flowering. Fresh seed sprouts quickly, but becomes less viable over 3 to 5 years. |
Its mature leaves are elliptic and glossy, with silvery coloring beneath.
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Attributes - Buckinghamia celsissima
Plant Type: Tree
Bloom Season: Early Summer through Late Summer
Flower Color: White
Foliage: Evergreen
Height: 60 ft. to 90 ft.
Width: 60 ft.
Sunlight: Full Sun
Climate: Zones 10, 11
Notes: Fragrant.
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