Leopard Tree

Leopard Tree (Libidibia ferrea, syn. Caesalpinia ferrea) is the shade tree to plant when you want a high, open canopy rather than a solid dome. It reaches about 12m tall and 8m wide, grows quickly, and carries fine ferny foliage that filters light rather than blocking it. The name comes from the bark: smooth grey trunks that flake to leave cream, tan and olive patches like a big cat's hide.

Why you'll love it

• Bark worth planting for. Mottled grey, cream and tan, and the pattern gets better every year as the tree matures.
• Light, usable shade. The fine bipinnate leaves cast dappled shade, so lawn and understorey planting still grow underneath.
• Fast to useful size. A quick grower, which matters when you are planting for shade rather than for the next owner.
• Genuinely tough. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant and content in poor soil, so it holds up in dry inland and hot coastal gardens.
• Yellow flowers in summer. Sprays of small yellow blooms through the warm months, which bees work heavily.

Where it works best

Shade tree for a large garden. This is the main use, and it needs the room: 12m by 8m is a big tree, so allow at least 8m of clearance from the house.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees 8m to 10m apart along a drive, matching the 8m mature canopy width, so the crowns meet overhead without competing.

Acreage and street scale feature planting. One specimen on a rural block or a wide verge shows the bark and the canopy shape properly.

Growing Leopard Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and space. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and arid gardens, so Brisbane, coastal New South Wales, Perth and inland districts all work. It takes light frost only, so hard frosting tableland and cool southern gardens are outside its range.

Soil and root behaviour. Poor soil is no obstacle, and it accepts most types with reasonable drainage. Be honest about the roots: they are vigorous and run near the surface, so keep it well clear of pipes, paving, pools and retaining walls.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly for the first two summers to drive roots down, then it manages on rainfall in most seasons. A complete fertiliser in early spring for the first few years builds the canopy faster.

Pruning. Formative pruning in the first three or four years sets the branch structure and lifts the canopy to walking height. After that it needs little beyond removing damaged wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in five sizes: tubes, 300mm pots, and advanced 45L, 100L and 200L stock. Tubes and 300mm plants are young whips, knee to waist height, and with growth this fast they are the sensible buy if you can wait. The 45L and above arrive as trees with a formed trunk and real height.

It is deciduous in the cooler part of its range, so a winter delivery can arrive with few leaves. That is normal. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing a canopy tree for shade
• Browse trees suited to driveways
• How to line a driveway with trees
• Compare fast growing shade trees

Common questions

Will the roots damage pipes or paving?

They can. This tree has vigorous surface roots, so it is not one for a small yard or a spot near services. Give it at least 8m to 10m from paving, pools, pipes and house footings.

How far apart should I plant an avenue?

Eight to ten metres apart. That matches the 8m mature canopy width, so the crowns meet over the drive without the trees pushing each other into lopsided shapes.

Will it grow in a cold garden?

Only where frosts are light. It handles light frost once established but not hard or repeated frosts, so tableland and cool southern gardens are outside its comfortable range.