Corymbia ficifolia or the red flowering gum also known as Albany red flowering gum (previously known as Eucalyptus ficifolia) is one of the most commonly planted ornamental trees in the broader eucalyptus family.
It is native to a very small area of south coastal Western Australia (measured in just tens of kilometres) to the east of Walpole (430 km Southeast of Perth), but is not considered under threat in the wild.
In nature Corymbia ficifolia prefers infertile, sandy soils but it is readily adaptable to most temperate locations, provided it is not exposed to severe frost or sustained tropical damp. It is an ideal street tree as it is hardy, moderately fast growing, and rarely grows large enough to require pruning.
The common name, “red flowering gum” is often used, but generally not to indicate Corymbia ficifolia in particular as opposed to it and other similar looking trees. The name is also something of a misnomer; all gums flower, many are red, Corymbia ficifolia is not really a “gum” but a bloodwood, and its flowers can be any shade between pale cream, through pink, to red, orange or deep crimson.
Both species are unusual in that they mainly grow only in spring, which means that the flower heads (which blossom in late summer) are outside the bulk of the foliage and very visible. Both species share the habit of flowering heavily only every second year; typically parts of a given tree will flower one year and other parts the next, but this varies greatly: in typical corymbia fashion, each individual tree seems to have its own particular habits.
Along with Nuytsia floribunda blossoms of the tree regularly correlate with Summer solstice and Christmas season in trees growing in metropolitan Perth and here in Cape Town.
What a beauty! 🙂 Happy Friday, Aletta!
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Thank you Jo!
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It really is a splendid tree! Lovely photos.
Many thanks for joining Floral Friday Fotos last week. Look forward to your next contribution.
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Thank you!
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wow what a lovely tree.
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Thanks Felicia!
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Dit is nou pragtig! Ek kan nie dink dat ek die boom al gesien het nie! Sal nou bietjie fyner kyk want daar moet beslis van hulle hier ook wees. Sjoe, dit was nou weer n interessante stukkie inligting wat jy gegee het. Baie dankie vir die deel.
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Ek is bly as jy die inligting interessant vind! Die boom is regtig besonders! Ek is seker julle sal dit daar ook sien.
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My skoondogter het gepraat van twee bome in haar straat wat soos bloekoms lyk. Hul het een rooi en ander een geel blomme en is oortrek!
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Beautiful shots of a beautiful tree. We had three of them when were lived on the farm. They would be at least sixty years old by now. Two red and one orange, if my memory serves me correctly.
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Thank you Woolly, I saw a red one today, but did not have my camera with me!!
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A spectacular flowering tree! The small buildings are a delight. Tom The Backroads Traveller
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Thanks Tom!
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Beautiful photos and great info. 😀
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Glad you enjoyed it Raewyn!
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Wow, the entire tree! Stunning!
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So beautiful to see! Thank you Amy!
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what a cool tree and I like your shots of them 🙂
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Thanks for your lovely compliment Yvette!
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de nada – 🙂 – and we saw our first gum tree this last summer – and they are amazing to look at –
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They are!! Enjoy 😀
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Beautiful! Amazing how full of blooms that tree is.
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It is really stunning!
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Spectacular! 🙂
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Thank you Sylvia! It is an amazing sight!
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Beautiful tree!
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Thank you 🙂
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