Barklya syringifolia
"Crown of Gold"
Floral emblem of Gladstone Qld

Photo by R. Crosson, 28 Oct 2000

Text below from: A Horticultural Guide to Australian Plants, The Society for Growing Australian Plants, Q78 Set 4 Sheet 9

Barklya syringifolia F. Muell

Family: Leguminosae
Derivation: Barklya - after H. Barkly, a Governor of Victoria, syringifolia - lilac leaved
Common name: no generally accepted common name
Varieties and forms: a fairly uniform species with no marked variations
Flowers: Golden yellow to orange, about 1 cm long in terminal cylindrical racemes about 20cm long, forming a dense panicle.
Flowering period: Spring to Summer
Growth habit: Medium tree
Height: 7 to 20m in rainforest, usually up to 7m in cultivation
Spread: up to 7m
Natural Distribution: Coastal Qld from about the border to Mackay
Habitat: Rainforest
Climatic tolerance: Annual rainfall: 1000 to 1600mm. Temperature range: 5 to 35 degrees Celcius
Propagation: Seed
Additional comments: The leaves are broadly heart-shaped, about 4 to 5cm in diameter. An excellent tree for coastal tropical and subtropical regions, but adapts to warm sheltered position as far south as Melbourne. It is not recommended for districts with a low rainfall or subject to severe frost except as a container plant in a glasshouse. Ideally suited to deep, rich well-drained soil with a good rainfall. It tends to be slow growing initially. best growth occurs during Autumn. Magnificent in flower but worth growing just for the attractive heart-shaped foliage with impressive bronze new grwoth. Seed matures 4 to 5 months after flowering. It is sometimes incorrectly assumed to be a member of the Proteaceae family. Resistant to most pests and diseases.