''Lophostemon confertus'' (syn. ''Tristania conferta''), is an
evergreen tree native to
Australia, though it is cultivated in the
United States and elsewhere. Common names include brush box, Queensland box, Brisbane box, pink box, box scrub, and vinegartree.
Its natural range in Australia is north-east
New South Wales and coastal
Queensland but it is commonly used as a
street tree in
Sydney,
Melbourne,
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
and other cities in eastern Australia.
Description
In the wild its habitat ranges from moist open forest and rainforest
ecotone
An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and gras ...
s, where it might reach heights of 40 metres or more, to coastal headlands where it acquires a stunted, wind-sheared habit. Dome-like in shape, it has a denser foliage with dark green, leathery leaves and hence provides more
shade than
eucalyptus trees. Moreover, it is considered safer than eucalypts because it rarely sheds limbs.
Habitat
It is considered useful as a street tree, due to its disease and pest resilience, its high tolerance for smog, drought and poor drainage, and the fact that it needs only moderate-to-light upkeep. It often requires lopping to accommodate overhead power lines, but survives pruning quite well.
[Shire of Yarra Ranges, ''Streetscape Strategy'']
In form it is used as a replacement for the weedy Camphor Laurel ''(
Cinnamomum camphora
''Camphora officinarum'' is a species of evergreen tree that is commonly known under the names camphor tree, camphorwood or camphor laurel.
Description
''Camphora officinarum'' is native to China south of the Yangtze River, Taiwan, southern ...
)'' while having a low potential for being weedy itself. The tree is one of the hardiest and most successful street trees within wider Sydney and elsewhere. One of the best examples is the garden suburb of
Haberfield in Sydney where the streets are planted almost entirely with the tree. When the land was subdivided in 1901 the trees were planted in the road reserve creating a regular pattern and well shaded streets.
Taxonomy
The species was formally described in 1812 by Scottish botanist
Robert Brown, based on plant material collected from the
Hunter River region in New South Wales. Brown named the species ''Tristania confertia''. The species was transferred to the genus ''
Lophostemon
''Lophostemon'' ('lophos' - crest, 'stemon' - stamen) is a genus of 4 species of evergreen tree in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. All four species are native to Australia, with one extending to New Guinea. The genus was first described in 1830 bu ...
'' in 1982.
Gallery
Image:Lophostemon confertus Pengo.jpg, Leaves
Image:Brush Box tree flowers.jpg, Flowers
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1002860
Myrtaceae
Myrtales of Australia
Flora of Queensland
Trees of Australia
Ornamental trees