FLINDERSIA collina (Leopard Ash)

Leopard Ash (Flindersia collina) is an Australian dry rainforest tree that makes a clean, well behaved shade canopy at around 10m tall and 6m wide. The foliage is glossy and evergreen, the trunk develops the mottled bark the common name refers to, and sprays of small white and cream flowers bring birds through in the warmer months. Sold here as an ex ground specimen, so you start with a tree, not a sapling.

Why you'll love it

• A native shade tree at a sensible size. At 10m by 6m it gives a proper canopy without the scale of a fig or a eucalypt.
• Evergreen and tidy. Glossy leaves hold through the year, and leaf drop is light compared with most large natives.
• Tough once established. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant and wind firm, drawn from the dry rainforest country of Queensland and northern New South Wales.
• Birds work it. Cream flowers draw insects, and the seed capsules that follow bring birds into the canopy.

Where it works best

Shade over a garden or courtyard. Allow at least 6m of clear width. The canopy is dense enough to sit under and open enough that planting underneath still works.

Feature planting. The mottled trunk and even crown make it a tree worth placing on its own, where the bark can be seen from the house or a path.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees 8m to 10m apart for a native avenue with matched crowns and a clear trunk beneath.

Growing Leopard Ash in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate tree, at home from Cairns down to the Sydney basin and across to Perth. It takes light frost only, so cold tableland and southern gardens are not suitable.

Soil. Free draining soil of any reasonable type. Its dry rainforest origin means it wants moisture at depth rather than a wet surface, so break up compacted ground and avoid planting in a hollow that holds water.

Water and feed. An ex ground tree needs steady water for its first full year while the root system rebuilds. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, tapering to weekly. Feed with a complete slow release fertiliser each spring for the first three years.

Pruning. Growth is slow to moderate and the shape develops naturally, so pruning is mostly a matter of lifting the lower branches to the clearance you want.

What to expect when it arrives

This is supplied as a single ex ground size, a 5m tree, and it is grown to order rather than held on the shelf. Ex ground means field grown and root pruned in the ground, then lifted for transport. Expect a rootball, a reduced canopy and a period of adjustment rather than instant perfection.

Trees are delivered Australia wide, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Plan for machinery and clear site access on your end, because a rootball of this size cannot be carried by hand. Stake it properly, water it consistently, and allow a full season before you expect strong new growth. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the ex ground tree range
• Choosing a canopy tree for shade
• Compare Australian native trees
• Transplanting and establishing large trees

Common questions

What does ex ground mean?

The tree is grown in the field rather than a pot, then root pruned, lifted and moved with a rootball. It is how mature trees are supplied at this size, and it gives you height on day one.

How quickly will it grow after planting?

Slow to moderate. Expect the first season to go into roots with little visible top growth, then steady canopy development from the second year onwards.

Will it grow in Melbourne or the tablelands?

No. It handles light frost only, so cold southern and elevated gardens are outside its range. Warm temperate coastal gardens are the southern limit.