Angophora hispida
dwarf apple
Coastal New South Wales (Sydney region)
Overview
Angophora hispida is an evergreen small tree or mallee reaching 10-23 feet (3-7 m) tall with a gnarled, crooked trunk and a rounded spreading crown. The bark is rough, grey-brown, and persistent, and the new growth, flower buds, and fruit are covered in reddish bristly hairs. Leaves are opposite, stalkless, oblong to heart-shaped, 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) long, dull green, and arranged in pairs along the stems. Cream-white flowers about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across, with many spreading stamens, open in large terminal clusters through summer. The flowers are followed by ribbed, bristly woody capsules 0.6-1 inch (1.5-2.5 cm) long. Growth is slow, and trees develop a contorted form with age. The species regrows from a woody lignotuber after fire. Bristly hairs on the buds and fruit can irritate skin on contact. The plant is sensitive to high phosphorus and to poorly drained soils.
Native Range
Native to a restricted area of coastal New South Wales around Sydney and the Central Coast. Grows in heath and dry sclerophyll woodland on shallow, sandy soils derived from Hawkesbury sandstone, on exposed ridges and plateaus.Suggested Uses
Planted as a small tree in native, coastal, and low-water gardens on sandy soils, spaced 8-15 feet (2.4-4.5 m) apart. Grown for its summer flowers and gnarled habit. The bristly buds and fruit and the need for sharp drainage limit its use in formal or heavy-soil gardens.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height10' - 23'
Width/Spread10' - 20'
Reaches mature size in approximately 15 years
Bloom Information
Flowers through summer, with a heavy display in mid-summer. Individual clusters last 2-3 weeks, and a tree carries flowers for 4-6 weeks. Flowering varies between years with rainfall and is heaviest after a wet spring.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
dull greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Plant in full sun in well-drained sandy or gravelly soil; it does not tolerate heavy or waterlogged ground. Water through the first one to two summers, after which established plants tolerate drought. Apply only low-phosphorus fertilizer, as the species is sensitive to phosphorus. Plants are frost hardy to about 25°F (-4°C). Trees regrow from a lignotuber after damage or fire. Scale insects and sooty mould can affect stressed plants in cultivation.Pruning
Prune lightly after flowering to shape young trees, as the natural form is twisted and uneven. Plants reshoot from the lignotuber and lower wood after harder cutting. Dead wood is removed as it appears.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
fall