FLINDERSIA xanthoxyla (Yellow Ash)

Yellow Ash (Flindersia xanthoxyla) is a shade tree for gardens with room to grow, settling at around 12m tall and 6m wide in an open position. It is an eastern Australian rainforest species with a straight trunk, a dense evergreen canopy and sprays of cream and white flowers that bring birds in. Supplied ex ground at 5m to 5.5m, it puts real canopy over a new landscape in the first season rather than the fifth.

Why you'll love it

• Shade on day one. This is advanced stock, so a bare yard reads as an established garden the week it goes in.
• Field grown structure. Open ground building gives a stronger trunk and a more natural branch habit than a potted tree of the same height.
• A native that feeds wildlife. The cream flower sprays draw nectar feeders, so it earns its place in a native or mixed planting.
• Built for tough sites. Once established it is drought tolerant, wind tolerant and untroubled by humidity.

Where it works best

Shade trees. One tree covers a lawn or a seating area, and the canopy is dense enough to genuinely cool the ground beneath it.

Driveways and avenues. Allow at least 8m between trees so each canopy reaches its full 6m spread, and set them back about 4m from paving and buildings.

Feature planting. The straight trunk and layered canopy hold their own as a single specimen on a large lawn or in a wide entry bed.

Growing Yellow Ash in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost once established, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens are not the place for it.

Soil. Deep and well drained is what it wants. This is a rainforest species, so work compost through a wide planting area and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then taper off as the roots find their own moisture. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Lift the lower limbs over two or three winters if you want clearance underneath, and leave the leader alone.

What to expect when it arrives

This tree is sold in one size, an ex ground specimen of 5m to 5.5m. It is field grown, root pruned and basketed, then treated with Vitamin B1 and seaweed extract before it leaves us, which is what allows a tree this size to move without stalling. Field hardened stock also asks for less irrigation than a potted tree of the same height.

A tree of this weight needs machinery and clear access at your end, so settle the drop point before you order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and we deliver Australia wide. Expect a quiet first season while the root system rebuilds. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full range of ex ground trees.
• Compare other Australian native trees for large gardens.
• Read about the best canopy trees for creating shade.
• See our picks for lining a driveway in Australia.

Common questions

How big will it actually get in a garden?

Around 12m tall and 6m wide is realistic in an open garden setting. It reaches roughly 30m in rainforest, where it is competing for light, so do not plan for that in a suburban block.

Is it fast growing?

No, it is a slow to moderate grower, which is precisely why buying it at 5m to 5.5m makes sense. Growth is steadier again in warm humid districts than in cooler southern gardens.

Will the roots lift paving?

Give it space rather than testing it. Plant at least 4m clear of paths, slabs and services so the roots of a tree this size are never forced against hard edges.