nuytsia floribunda

western australia

hemiparasitic plant

West Australian Native Christmas Tree

@JudyEv (328294)

Rockingham, Australia

January 3, 2017 6:48am CST

The photo above is of the beautiful West Australian hemiparasitic plant known locally as the Christmas tree as its bright flowers appear over the Christmas season. The taxonomic name is Nutysia floribunda and it is well known in the south-west of the state. Some stay the size of a shrub but others reach ten metres or so in height. The bark is rough and grey-brown while the vivid yellow-orange flowers appear between October and January. It is a root hemiparasitic plant, attaching its roots to those of nearby plants and obtaining water and nutrients from them. They will even attach themselves to underground cables. It is suited to a variety of soil types but is difficult to cultivate for more than a couple of years. We saw some wonderful specimens while travelling over New Year. As you can see, the flowers are spectacular.

25 people like this

26 responses

@shaggin (71675)

• United States

3 Jan 17

I have never heard or seen pictures of this tree before. The blooms are quite pretty.

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@shaggin (71675)

• United States

4 Jan 17

@JudyEv It sure is interesting looking! Is that railroad tracks in the background?

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

@shaggin Yes it is. You're very observant! :) The trains don't run any more in this area which is a shame.

@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

It makes a lovely 'blot on the landscape' as it is very bright!

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@rebelann (111593)

• El Paso, Texas

3 Jan 17

Someone else posted about these beauties not too long ago but this picture is much more detailed. I wish I could grow one here.

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@rebelann (111593)

• El Paso, Texas

4 Jan 17

I think it was someone from New Zealand or such @JudyEv forgive me for not remembering who exactly.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

@rebelann I know @valmnz posted about the New Zealand Christmas tree but that is a different tree altogether. I have one of those in the garden just outside the kitchen window.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

I must have missed that. I wonder who it was? They don't grow under cultivation - not more than a year or two anyway.

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@allknowing (130621)

• India

4 Jan 17

Pretty flowers. Sad that the tree does not last for more than 2 years.

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@allknowing (130621)

• India

4 Jan 17

@JudyEv They have nothing in cultivated gardens that they can rob from - it seems to me

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

They last much longer in the wild but they don't grow well if you try to cultivate them in a garden.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

@allknowing That could be the case.

@AbbyGreenhill (45496)

• United States

3 Jan 17

Very different looking, very nice.

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@AbbyGreenhill (45496)

• United States

3 Jan 17

@JudyEv How long do the flowers last?

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

@AbbyGreenhill I guess they last a month or two.

@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

3 Jan 17

The photo doesn't really do it justice. Here is a better one.

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@JamesHxstatic (29420)

• Eugene, Oregon

4 Jan 17

What an unusual tree that is. I wonder if there are many of those parasitic plants around?

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

There are 70 native varieties of mistletoe in Australia which is also a parasite. Sandalwood also grows off a host plant. So I guess there is quite a few in total.

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@JamesHxstatic (29420)

• Eugene, Oregon

5 Jan 17

@JudyEv I tried to find out how many there are in the US, but quickly found that there are over 4000 known on earth. We have mistletoe too.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

5 Jan 17

@JamesHxstatic Our mistletoe seems to be different from the English version. It is a bit hard to tell from the photos.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (310336)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

3 Jan 17

It's a beautiful tree. I can see why it's called a hemiparasitic plant if it attaches to other plants for water and nutrients. Good picture of it.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

Thanks. I was a bit disappointed with the photo as it really looked better in real life.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

@just4him It can be disappointing particularly with scenes where you really need 3D to see the hills or gradients.

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

3 Jan 17

You would expect this to have a drastic effect on the other trees.

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

4 Jan 17

@JudyEv Then I must draw sustenance in a realistic manner.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

You would but I don't think it kills them. Probably stunts their growth a bit.

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@katsmeow1213 (28717)

• United States

4 Jan 17

It's pretty. Not sure I could handle a hot Christmas without the possibility of snow, but I suppose if I were raised in Australia I'd have a different view of Christmas.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

It's all about what we're used to, isn't it? I've never known any other sort of Christmas.

@SIMPLYD (90722)

• Philippines

4 Jan 17

That is a very beautiful Christmas tree indeed . However , it cannot be inside the house though , because it's so big .

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@SIMPLYD (90722)

• Philippines

4 Jan 17

@JudyEv So it should be where it is planted originally , always .

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

You wouldn't cut one of these down for a Christmas tree. At least, I'm sure no-one ever has.

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@averygirl72 (37854)

• Philippines

4 Jan 17

Wonderful picture of a tree. Nice to know about it

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

Thanks. I'm glad you liked the photo.

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@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

4 Jan 17

Nice one Judy, love the golden colour

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

Thanks. It is a beautiful colour.

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@MALUSE (69388)

• Germany

3 Jan 17

Underground cables? Can the plant live off them? That would be odd. The plant looks like a mimosa tree which grows in southern Europe. Do you know it?

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

3 Jan 17

No, they can't live off them but they attach themselves to the cables and can damage them. And it certainly does look like the mimosa. The mimosa also looks very like some of our wattles.

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@MALUSE (69388)

• Germany

3 Jan 17

@JudyEv Wattles are also called fake mimosa.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

3 Jan 17

@MALUSE I didn't know that! Thanks for the information.

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@fishtiger58 (29823)

• Momence, Illinois

3 Jan 17

Hemiparasitic is a new word for me, very interesting plant, I love the flowers.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

They make a very bright spot in a paddock or along the road.

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@fishtiger58 (29823)

• Momence, Illinois

5 Jan 17

@JudyEv I am a nut for orange flowers, so pretty

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@tzwrites (4835)

• Romania

4 Jan 17

That's a beautiful "christmas tree" and those yellowish orange flowers are so pretty!

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

It is a very bright tree with such pretty flowers.

Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61047)

• United States

3 Jan 17

It is a very pretty plant and I imagine it is not too popular in areas where it could cause damage to pipes etc.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

Mostly there just seems to be odd ones in paddocks or along roadsides.

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@DWDavis (25806)

• United States

3 Jan 17

It is a beautiful tree. I find it's method of obtaining water and nutrients fascinating. Does it eventually kill the plant whose roots it is leeching off of?

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

I don't think so. Maybe it depends on the health of the host trees. Some farmers are now planting host trees for sandalwood cultivation as that is a hemiparasite too. Both photosynthesise nutrients as well as feeding off other plants. There are root and stem hemiparasitic plants. I've just read Australia has 70 native varieties of mistletoe.

2 people like this

@amadeo (111942)

• United States

3 Jan 17

Same here this is new to me.Never heard of the name there.Thank you for giving this to us

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

These trees are only found in the bottom corner of Western Australia. Glad you like it.

@Jessicalynnt (50525)

• Centralia, Missouri

3 Jan 17

the flowers are quite pretty

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

They look lovely along the road.

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@DianneN (247204)

• United States

3 Jan 17

That is amazing that the flowers only appear at Christmas! I love the color, too. I would imagine that it can be destructive to cables and other plants.

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

Mostly they are well away from pipes and cables. I haven't read that they do a lot of damage.

@FayeHazel (40246)

• United States

3 Jan 17

Wow, it's beautiful. I have never seen anything like it

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@JudyEv (328294)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Jan 17

Thanks. They are very pretty and a nice start to the Christmas season.