Alloxylon flammeum, the Queensland Tree Waratah or Red Silky Oak is a medium-sized tree

Tree

A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...

 of the Proteaceae

Proteaceae

Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...

 found in only a few kilometres of the Atherton Tableland

Atherton Tableland

The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...

 in northeastern Australia. Previously known as Oreocallis wickhamii, the initial specimen turned out to be a different species to the one cultivated and hence a new scientific name was required.

Description

In nature this is a rainforest tree which can reach 33 metres in height, though in cultivation 10 metres is more likely. The green foliage consists of distinct juvenile and adult leaf forms. The deeply lobed juvenile leaves are up to 50cm long while the adult leaves (pictured) are 8-25cm long and up to 4.5 cm wide. Occurring in spring, the bright red or orange-red inflorescences are terminal and well-displayed, consisting of up to 50 individual flowers. These are followed by seed pods which take several months to mature.

Cultivation

The showiest member of the genus, A. flammeum has proven to be the most hardy and adaptable, though is not widely grown. It does best in a well drained soil rich in organic material but low in phosphorus

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...

with some shelter when young.