It is Christmas time and the weather is getting very hot. Our climate does not produce the traditional red poinsettia Christmas flowers. The nursery industry has ways of making the poinsettia flower out of season, but there is another very bright red festive flower that shines in our Australian climate in time for Christmas. Take a look in your neighbourhood for the glorious Red Flowering Gum (Eucalyptus ficifolia, now reclassified as Corymbia ficifolia).
The glorious Red Flowering Gum (Eucalyptus ficifolia, now reclassified as Corymbia ficifolia).
Corymbia ficifolia, otherwise known as the Red Flowering gum is making a splash around the streets just in time for Christmas.
(Eucalyptus ficifolia, now reclassified as Corymbia ficifolia)
The red variety is now showing a blaze of bright red colour, which attracts a lot of bees and birds. The red variety is the most obvious but there is a huge variation in flower colour, from bright red, scarlet or pink to orange. This tree is an evergreen which will grow around six to ten metres in height. It flowers from late spring to summer and there are some fine examples to be seen in December. These trees do well in warm, coastal places, but not directly on the seafront. They also have the benefit of taking the heat well.
The red variety is now showing a blaze of bright red colour
It's Christmas Time for these Festive Flowers to Shine
This could be relabelled the Australian Christmas flower, as the Hakea can be known to Easter. Our traditions need to be shaped by our own places, climate and knowledge. Have a look in your local area for trees with these truly majestic red flowers. Christmas Blessings to you all.
(Eucalyptus ficifolia, now reclassified as Corymbia ficifolia)
