Syncarpia spp.

turpentine tree

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

HardinessZones 10–11

Overview

Syncarpia spp. is a genus of about five species of evergreen trees in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), endemic to eastern Australia. Plants form dense, columnar to rounded crowns and range from medium trees to forest giants; S. glomulifera, the turpentine, commonly reaches 80-115 feet (25-35 m) and occasionally 200 feet (60 m) on favourable sites. The thick, fibrous, deeply furrowed bark is reddish-brown and fire-resistant. Leaves are simple and appear whorled in fours because they cluster in opposite pairs at the stem tips; they are dark green above and paler, sometimes hairy, beneath. Small cream flowers fuse at their bases into compound heads of about seven, which develop into a single woody, multi-celled fruit, the feature that gives the genus its name from the Greek for joined fruit. The dense, interlocked timber is durable and resistant to marine borers and has been used for wharves and heavy construction. Syncarpia spp. grows in warm-temperate rainforest and wet eucalypt forest on a range of soils but is frost-tender when young, which restricts cultivation to mild climates.

Native Range

Syncarpia spp. is endemic to eastern Australia, where its species occur along the coast and ranges from north-eastern New South Wales into Queensland, with S. glomulifera the most widespread.

Suggested Uses

Planted as a shade and specimen tree in parks, large gardens, and street plantings in mild climates, and used in forestry and revegetation for its durable timber and dense canopy. The fibrous bark and dense crown create habitat and nesting sites for birds.

How to Identify

Identified by leaves that appear in whorls of four at the stem tips, dark green above and paler beneath, and by thick, fibrous, furrowed reddish-brown bark. The fused flower heads and the compound woody fruit, formed from about seven flowers joined at the base, are diagnostic and separate Syncarpia spp. from Eucalyptus spp. and Lophostemon spp., with which it shares habitat.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height30' - 115'

Width/Spread20' - 50'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering is mainly in late spring and summer (October-January in Australia). The small cream flowers are massed in rounded compound heads and are visited by bees and other insects; woody fruits follow and persist on the tree for months.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

dark green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-12 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

20-30 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Syncarpia spp. grows in full sun to part shade on moist, well-drained soils ranging from sands to clay-loams, with a pH of about 5.0 to 7.0. Established trees tolerate short dry spells and poorer soils but are frost-tender when young and need a warm-temperate or subtropical climate. Growth is moderate to slow, and trees develop deep roots that make them wind-firm but hard to transplant once established. Ample summer moisture supports steadier growth. The main limit in cultivation is cold, since hard frost damages foliage and can kill young plants.

Pruning

Little pruning is needed for trees grown as specimens. Lower branches can be removed to lift the crown, and dead or damaged wood is cut out as it appears. Formative pruning is done while branches are small, since large cuts heal slowly.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic