''Lophostemon confertus'' (syn. ''Tristania conferta''), is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

tree native to Australia, though it is cultivated in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and elsewhere. Common names include brush box, Queensland box, Brisbane box, pink box, box scrub, and vinegartree. Its natural range in Australia is north-east

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and coastal

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

but it is commonly used as a

street tree Urban forestry is the care and management of single trees and tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. Urban forestry involves both planning and management, including the programming of care and ...

in Sydney,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

Perth Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...

and other cities in eastern Australia.

Description

In the wild its habitat ranges from moist open forest and rainforest

ecotone An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and gras ...

s, where it might reach heights of 40 metres or more, to coastal headlands where it acquires a stunted, wind-sheared habit. Dome-like in shape, it has a denser foliage with dark green, leathery leaves and hence provides more shade than

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of Flowering plant, flowering trees, shrubs or Mallee (habit), mallees in the Myrtaceae, myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the Tribe (biology) ...

trees. Moreover, it is considered safer than eucalypts because it rarely sheds limbs.

Habitat

It is considered useful as a street tree, due to its disease and pest resilience, its high tolerance for smog, drought and poor drainage, and the fact that it needs only moderate-to-light upkeep. It often requires lopping to accommodate overhead power lines, but survives pruning quite well.Shire of Yarra Ranges, ''Streetscape Strategy''
In form it is used as a replacement for the weedy Camphor Laurel ''( Cinnamomum camphora)'' while having a low potential for being weedy itself. The tree is one of the hardiest and most successful street trees within wider Sydney and elsewhere. One of the best examples is the garden suburb of Haberfield in Sydney where the streets are planted almost entirely with the tree. When the land was subdivided in 1901 the trees were planted in the road reserve creating a regular pattern and well shaded streets.

Taxonomy

The species was formally described in 1812 by Scottish botanist Robert Brown, based on plant material collected from the Hunter River region in New South Wales. Brown named the species ''Tristania confertia''. The species was transferred to the genus ''

Lophostemon ''Lophostemon'' ('lophos' - crest, 'stemon' - stamen) is a genus of 4 species of evergreen tree in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. All four species are native to Australia, with one extending to New Guinea. The genus was first described in 1830 b ...

'' in 1982.

Gallery

Image:Lophostemon confertus Pengo.jpg, Leaves Image:Brush Box tree flowers.jpg, Flowers

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1002860 Myrtaceae Myrtales of Australia Flora of Queensland Trees of Australia Ornamental trees