Smooth Barked Apple

Smooth Barked Apple (Angophora costata) is one of the great Australian shade trees, and the bark is the reason people plant it. Fresh salmon pink in summer, weathering to grey before shedding again, wrapped around a heavy trunk that leans and twists as it ages. In a large garden it makes about 15m tall and 10m wide, with creamy white flowers in early summer that bring lorikeets and native bees in numbers.

Why you'll love it

• Bark worth looking at all year. The trunk sheds annually to reveal smooth salmon and orange new bark, then fades to soft grey.
• Serious shade. A crown 10m wide covers a lawn or outdoor area properly, and the shade is dense enough to be useful in summer.
• Tough and undemanding. Drought tolerant, salt tolerant and untroubled by poor sandstone soils, so it thrives where more refined trees fail.
• Wildlife value. Heavy nectar flowering draws lorikeets and honeyeaters, and older trees develop hollows that support nesting birds.

Where it works best

Shade tree for large gardens and acreage. Give it at least 10m of clear width and keep it well back from the house. This is a big tree and needs to be planted like one.

Feature planting and coastal gardens. On a large lawn or rural verge a single specimen carries the space, and salt tolerance suits it to coastal blocks.

Avenues and driveways. Space trees 10m to 12m apart on a long drive. Anything tighter and the crowns compete and the trunks lose their character.

Growing Smooth Barked Apple in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and plenty of open space. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, and takes light frost only, so young trees need protection where winter frost is hard. Plant it clear of powerlines, and be honest about the space you have.

Soil. Sandy, gravelly and poor soils are its natural home, and it prefers ground that drains freely. Avoid heavy, permanently wet clay.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers to drive roots down, then taper off. It is drought tolerant once established. Feed lightly with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring for the first few years.

Pruning. Formative pruning in the first three to five years is worthwhile: remove crossing limbs and narrow forks while the cuts are small. After that keep pruning to a minimum. It sheds bark and small branches in dry weather, so do not site it over a driveway or seating area.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in six sizes, from 140mm in packs of ten and 200mm in packs of six, through single 300mm and 400mm pots, up to advanced 30L and 100L stock. The smaller sizes suit a shelter belt or revegetation planting, arriving as young whips that establish fast. The 400mm, 30L and 100L sizes give you a formed trunk and several seasons of head start.

Trees travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather. The bark colour and twisting trunk take several years to develop, so buy for the long term. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing canopy trees for shade
• Browse native trees for Australian gardens
• Feature trees with real presence
• Advanced trees for immediate impact

Common questions

How big does it really get?

In a large garden expect around 15m tall and 10m wide. In habitat it reaches 25m or more, so the garden figure assumes a suburban or acreage setting.

Can I plant it near the house, a pool or paving?

No. It develops vigorous surface roots and is not suitable near pipes, paving, pool shells or foundations. Allow well over 10m of clearance from any structure.

Does it drop branches?

Like most large trees in this group it sheds bark annually and can drop small branches in prolonged dry weather. That is normal, and the reason to site it away from parking and buildings.