Coachwood

Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum) is an evergreen rainforest tree from the gullies of New South Wales and southern Queensland. It grows 10 to 15m tall and about 6m wide in gardens, and up to 25m in forest. It is grown for its smooth, grey, fragrant bark, often ringed with pale bands of lichen, and for a quiet flush of pinkish-red in summer.

Why you'll love it

• Bark worth a close look. The trunk is smooth and grey with a sweet scent, and with age it often carries pale horizontal lichen bands.
• Flowers, then colour. Sprays of small white flowers open in late spring, and the calyces behind them turn pinkish-red through summer.
• A true rainforest canopy tree. It gives deep, cool, evergreen shade and suits planting with tree ferns, palms and other gully species.
• A relative of NSW Christmas Bush. It belongs to the same genus, with a softer summer display and a much taller, straighter habit.
• Tidy leaves. Each leaf is a single toothed leaflet, dark green and leathery, with bronze-pink new growth.

Where it works best

Rainforest gardens. Plant it as an upper layer over ferns and shade plants, where the soil stays moist and leaf litter can build up.

Shade tree for a large garden. Allow 6 to 8m between trees and keep it well clear of buildings and paving. It is too big for a small suburban block.

Sheltered gullies and south-facing slopes. It is at its best in a protected position out of hot, drying wind.

Growing Coachwood in Australia

Position and climate. Coachwood wants shelter. Give young trees part shade and protection from hot wind, and they will grow up into full sun as they mature. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and mild cool temperate gardens with reliable moisture, and takes light frost once established. It is not a tree for dry, exposed sites.

Soil. Moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil is what it grows in naturally. Dig in compost before planting and keep a deep layer of leaf mulch over the root zone. It prefers slightly acidic ground.

Water and feed. Keep the soil evenly moist, particularly through the first three summers and in any dry spell after that. Feed in spring with a low-phosphorus fertiliser for native plants and top up the mulch each year.

Pruning. Little pruning is needed. Remove low or crossing branches while the tree is young to show the trunk, and leave the canopy to form naturally.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Coachwood in 140mm pots in packs of 10 and in 200mm pots in packs of 6, which suits revegetation, rainforest plantings and larger properties. Young trees are best planted soon after arrival into prepared, moist soil. Water in well, mulch thickly and shade the plants through their first summer if the site is open. Our growers do not hold every size all year, so a size can show as on backorder at times. An order for a backorder size is confirmed with you before anything ships.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Australian native trees
• More Australian native plants
• A guide to rare Australian native plants

Common questions

How big will Coachwood get in my garden?

Expect 10 to 15m tall and about 6m wide over many years in cultivation. In its native forest it can reach 25m, so plan for a large tree.

Is it the same as NSW Christmas Bush?

No. They are close relatives, but Coachwood is a tall rainforest tree with single leaflets and a softer pinkish-red summer colour, while Christmas Bush is a large shrub with a brighter display.

Can it take full sun?

Mature trees can, provided the roots stay moist. Young trees do better with part shade and wind shelter for their first few years.