A fast-growing evergreen tree native to Australia. Although its common name in English is Oak (Silk Oak or Australian Silver Oak), it is only distantly related to our Oaks, Quercus. It has been planted in southern Portugal for many years as an ornamental, woodland, windbreak and urban street tree. It is extremely tolerant of soil type and only needs seasonal rainfall to survive once established. It adapts very well to the Mediterranean climate.

They are known for being fast-growing trees, reaching a height of 30 metres in the right conditions. However, in unfavourable conditions they will often reach a height of only 5 metres. It flowers profusely from September to November, with bright rust-orange colours dominating the crown. Most of the foliage is shed just before flowering, increasing the visibility of the flowers.

When first planted, they can be susceptible to frost and will need some protection for the first few years. After that they are frost resistant down to -8C. We recommend deep watering during the warmer months in the first few years, although if planted as a sapling in the autumn they will survive without water. They can be a bit messy when young, so the sooner they mature the better. Give them plenty of space, pruning usually ruins the shape of the crown, the new growth rarely follows the natural shape of the tree, giving a lopsided, crippled look. Another word of caution: like many plants, if you water them for several years and then suddenly stop, they will die back rapidly and suddenly. Plant trees of the right size in areas where they have space and can grow undisturbed in the future.