A Favourite Thing

A favourite thing growing in our garden is the angophora tree.

Angophora costata to be exact, or the smooth barked apple.

The angophora costata tree does not grow apples though.  

What I find the most startling about this tree, is not its size, or the masses of cream coloured spring blooms, not even the way its roots curl around the sandstone in which it commonly grows...but the colour of its bark.

I know no other tree that sheds its bark the way the angophora does, to reveal all the shades of green, or brown, or terracotta, or grey, or blue, I know no other tree that colours its bark each day depending on the season, or the weather, or the time of day.

No. Other. Tree.

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Angophora Costata is renowned for dropping its large branches (and therefore not a good idea to plant close to buildings).

When a branch drops off a knobbly growth develops.

Indigenous Australians slice these growths off close to the trunk, hollow them out and use as vessels. 

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Angophora Costata shedding its bark.

A mound of bark collects at the base of the tree's trunk.

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Angophora Costata (Smooth-barked Apple)

From the Greek meaning vessel or goblet (angophora), and ribbed (costata) taken from the shape of the seed pods.

This tree is,

in my opinion, the most majestic tree in the Blue Mountains.

She is a member of the Myrtaceae family, and therefore at risk of being affected by 

Myrtle Rust.

The Angophora has the ability to change the colour of its bark by the hour, depending on the weather and the time of day.

The colour of the Angophora bark can range from grey to blue-grey to pink to salmon to terracotta.

Once the tree sheds its bark, it is left with a satin smooth trunk.

Angophora Costata grows to a height of 15-25 metres.