Referred to as Silver Tree because its soft, elliptical leaves (which remain on the trees for years giving it evergreen status) are covered with hairs that look amazingly like silver in the sunlight and they shimmer in the wind. These trees can reach up to forty feet in height.
You don't know whether it is a male or a female until the day it flowers and shows off with large, pure silver egg-like cones (female) or yellow pollen surrounding small silver buds (male). The Silver Tree relies on wind for dispersing its seeds instead of having to attract birds or other dispersers. Each fruit looks like a small nut and is equipped with a "parachute". Once the seed is freed by strong winds, it can travel a considerable distance thanks to its design.
Silver Tree branches are stunning when used in arrangements and its individual leaves are ideal in corsages and boutonnieres.
If you’re looking for thriving organic floral displays in your home or office, you need to ponder beyond just flowers – the foliage is just as important as the blooms you choose. Leaves come in all shapes, sizes and colors and now, Banksia integrifolia is in the limelight. If you are not familiar with integrifolia or sometimes called Coast banksia or white honeysuckle, the foliage is fickle: the younger leaves are usually broad and irregular toothed, while the mature leaves are smooth and spear shaped. They have white undersides that tend to give the leaves a silvery look.
Integrifolia is lush and long-lasting, making it the perfect textured foliage for any wreath. Plus, it blends well with just about any flowers or greens enabling you to create your own unique display.
Eucalyptus foliage is very popular this spring, from leafy garlands, to lush wreaths and verdant displays. We love the remarkable array of shapes and sizes that are found in nature, from long, thin, oval, round, feathery and diamond. These wonderful botanicals add volume, texture and height to decor. And when it comes to color, most foliage is green, simply because all photosynthetic plants rely on chlorophyll for energy. Green is considered a neutral color and can often be left out in planning a color scheme. There are many different shades of green - from light and dark hues, blue and silvery tones. Matching the right eucalyptus to colorful flowers can have a subtle but very powerful impact.
Here are some of the varieties we’re harvesting.
Eucalyptus pyriformia
Eucalyptus mimiata
Eucalyptus blue gum
Eucalyptus rudis
Eucalyptus sideroxylon
Eucalyptus leucoxylon
Eucalyptus willow
Commonly known as waboom (Afrikaans for wagon tree) and botanically known as Protea nitida or arborea. This is a South African shrub, native to the dry slopes of South Africa where it often attains a knotted picturesque habit, has both functional and ornamental uses. In Africa waboom was traditionally used to make ink and construct wheel-wheels.
However, this protea is also a lovely shrub or tree with large, ivory flowers and beautiful foliage. Waboom has long, oval leaves that are leathery and fully evergreen. They emerge opaque magenta but mature to a light bluish 'sea-green' or silver. Large, white flowers bloom mainly during the winter and early spring. Each blossom opens from a tidy bud to an impressive flower with creamy-white spike-like stamens. Once the flowers dry, beautiful pods remain to be enjoyed.
Macrocarpa is a very distinctive species of eucalyptus having what Australians usually refer to as a “mallee” type habit of growth. A species that has amazing characteristics including interesting foliage, beautiful flowers, and fascinating bark. Because of the dryness of the habitats in which it evolved, this eucalyptus tends to be extremely drought tolerant, with evergreen, often wax-covered leaves, which appear in different shapes as the plant matures. Macrocarpa’s large, bluish gray leaves are very interesting and look spectacular in arrangements.
Macrocarpa flowers from early spring to mid-summer producing blooms larger than a silver dollar, with brilliantly colored stamens in vibrant vivid pinks and stunning reds. The gum nuts which follow the flowers are also an interesting feature of the tree… they’re very large and have a wonderful powdery grey covering.
If you’re looking for thriving organic floral displays in your home or office, you need to ponder beyond just flowers – the foliage is just as important as the blooms you choose. Leaves come in all shapes, sizes and colors and now, Banksia integrifolia is in the limelight. If you are not familiar with integrifolia or sometimes called Coast banksia or white honeysuckle, the foliage is fickle: the younger leaves are usually broad and irregular toothed, while the mature leaves are smooth and spear shaped. They have white undersides that tend to give the leaves a silvery look in the wind.
Integrifolia is the perfect textured foliage for any season – it makes a lush and long lasting base for wreaths, it blends well with just about any flowers and combined with other Australian greens makes a wonderful bouquet!
