Smooth-Barked Apple
Angophora cordifolia

Family: Myrtaceae

What it is like

Angophora cordifolia is an evergreen Tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 30

Where it is found

Eucalyptus forests, especially in poor sandy or stony country.

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.

Medicine

Rating: 1

Astringent.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Other

Rating: 2

A gum is obtained from the trunk, it is used medicinally and also to preserve ropes in water. Wood - not durable. Used for fence rails, rough slabs etc.

Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.

Preservative: For food, or for treating wood, ropes etc.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

How it is grown

Prefers a sunny position in a moderately fertile well-drained moisture retentive circum-neutral soil. Tolerates poor and dry soils, especially those low in mineral elements. Established plants are drought tolerant, but they are not very wind resistant. Plants succeed outdoors in Britain only in the very mildest areas of the country. They are hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens, but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. There is some confusion over the correct name for this species. We have used the name A. cordifolia Cav. - one synonym of this species is given as A. costata. (Gaertn.)Britten. Some of the information we have included here was listed under A. costata. Domin., which we have assumed is the same species. Trees lose their branches in high winds. They sheds their bark annually.

Propagating it: Seed - sow April in a warm greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. If trying them outdoors, plant them out in early summer and give them some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth in sandy soil in a frame.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Dappled Shade; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

A. costata. Domin. A. lanceolata.