Trees

Start with the job, then check the size

Buy a tree for what you need it to do. Shade over a west facing wall calls for a spreading canopy, a jacaranda or an Illawarra flame tree. Privacy along a boundary wants a dense evergreen such as a weeping lilly pilly or Brisbane box. A courtyard feature has to earn its spot with flowers or form, which is where crepe myrtles, magnolias and Japanese maples come in, because all of them stay compact enough to plant near the house.

Then hold the mature height against your block. A jacaranda reaches 10m to 15m with a canopy nearly as wide. A tuckeroo makes about 8m, a 'Little Gem' magnolia 4m, and the compact crepe myrtles around 3m. Planting a 15m tree in a 6m wide backyard is the most common tree buying mistake we see, and the hardest to undo five years later.

Evergreen or deciduous

Evergreen trees such as lilly pillies, magnolias, olives and tuckeroos hold their screen and their shade all year, which makes them the default for privacy and for framing a garden. Deciduous trees like Japanese maples, ornamental pears, crepe myrtles and liquidambars work the other way: dense shade in summer, bare branches that let winter sun through. Over a north facing lawn or an outdoor living area, deciduous is usually the smarter pick. For a year round backdrop or screen, browse the evergreen tree range.

Matching a tree to your climate

• Tropical and subtropical gardens. Poincianas, frangipanis, golden pendas, ivory curl trees and tabebuias flower hard in heat and humidity. Most tolerate no more than the lightest frost.
• Warm temperate gardens around Sydney, Perth and coastal South Australia take the widest range: jacarandas, olives, citrus, magnolias, crepe myrtles and most of the natives.
• Cool temperate and frost prone gardens, including Melbourne, Canberra, the tablelands and Tasmania. Japanese maples, ornamental pears, birches, liquidambars, crepe myrtles and many eucalypts shrug off hard frost. Tropical flowering trees do not.
• Dry inland gardens. Eucalypts, kurrajongs and the Queensland bottle tree cope with heat and low rainfall better than almost anything else on this page, with olives close behind.

Tubestock, potted or advanced

The same species often appears here at several sizes, and the price difference is real. Tubestock from about $11 is the cheapest way to plant a windbreak, a driveway avenue or a whole new garden, and young trees establish quickly because their roots have never been pot bound. Mid size stock in 200mm pots through to 45 litre bags balances cost against head start, and suits most single tree purchases. Advanced and ex ground trees give an instant result for a landmark position. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with common tiers at $179.95 and $209.90 and specialist transport quoted for the biggest specimens.

Planting and the first two summers

Dig the hole twice as wide as the rootball and no deeper, so the trunk flare sits at soil level. Backfill with the soil you removed, water in with 20 litres, then mulch 75mm deep and keep the mulch clear of the trunk. Stake loosely only if the site is windy, and take stakes out after the first year so the trunk thickens properly. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, weekly through the second, and feed with a controlled release fertiliser each spring. Keep large growing trees at least 5m from the house, further from sewer lines, and never plant a fig near paving or pipes.

Common questions

How fast will my tree grow?

Fast species such as poincianas, eucalypts and ornamental pears can put on a metre or more a year in good conditions. Magnolias, maples and olives are slower, closer to 30cm to 50cm. A tree planted small usually overtakes expectations by year three once its roots are away.

Which trees are safe near the house?

Compact trees with well behaved roots: crepe myrtles, 'Little Gem' magnolias, Japanese maples and citrus can all sit 2m to 3m off a wall. Keep figs, large eucalypts and poincianas well clear of structures, paving and pipes.

What should I plant for quick shade?

In the tropics and subtropics, a poinciana or golden penda. In temperate gardens, an ornamental pear or jacaranda. All sit at the fast end of the range, and choosing from the flowering trees means you get a show each year while the canopy builds.

Can I mix fruit trees into an ornamental garden?

Yes, and it usually works well because both want sun, deep watering and an annual feed. The fruit tree range covers citrus, avocados, figs, mangoes, mulberries and stone fruit for the sunniest corner of the yard.

How do trees travel?

Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.