Milkwood Tree — Sideroxylon inerme
A small to medium evergreen tree, which grows to a height of 10 – 15 meter. The tree has a sturdy trunk that is normally 600mm in diameter, and a large, dense, rounded crown. The leaves are leathery and spirally arranged, dark green above and dull beneath. The tree has small greenish white flowers with a strong, unpleasant smell. It flowers during Summer and Autumn (November to April). A special feature of this tree is that it makes an excellent firebreak.
Soil type: Sandy, Clay, Loam, Brack/saline
Flowering season: Late Summer, Autumn
PH: Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Flower color: Green, Cream
Aspect: Full Sun, Morning Sun (Semi Shade), Afternoon Sun (Semi Shade)
Gardening skill: Easy
Special Features:
- Feature plant
- Hedge/screen
- Edible plant
- Medical plant
- Feeds honeybees
Tree Seed Planting Instructions:
- Prepare your biodegradable pot with the growing medium.
- Place the seeds in luke warm water.
- Let the seeds soak for a few hours.
- Prepare a pot of weed-free soil.
- Plant the seeds under a thin layer of the mixture.
- Be sure to keep moist and warm during germination but do not over water. Germination can take 2 to 4 weeks.
- Transplant the pot with seedlings into another pot once the true leaves appear. The entire pot can be planted into a larger container with a well-composted, sandy seedling mixture.
General Transplanting Instructions:
- Once the seedlings reach 30cm transplant the tree into the garden.
- Prepare the site for planting by:
- Dig a hole no deeper or wider than the soil in which the seedling has grown, but about 3 times wider than the container.
- Ensure the sides and bottom of the hole have loose soil in order for the roots to grow easily.
- Add bone meal to the soil in the hole before transplanting the tree.
- Fill the hole with water, it should drain fairly quickly.
- Transplanting the sapling:
- Identify the root ball: The root ball is comprised of all the roots contained in a pot.
- Remove the container carefully from the sapling root ball by laying it on its side and tapping it all around so as to loosen the soil and roots of the sapling.
- Gently uncurl and straighten the roots so that they are going outward from the trunk.
- Do not plant any part of the trunk under the soil. Aim to cover the sapling with about 15mm of the root ball exposed above the soil.
- Back fill with the soil to one third and tamp down. Gently scratch the root ball to loosen fine roots to encourage them to grow into the new soil. Then back fill the rest of the hole and tamp down.
- Immediately after planting, mulch with woodchips, leaf mold or compost in a large area around the tree. This layer of mulch should not be more that 10cm deep and should never rest against the stem of the tree.
- Keep the soil moist but not soaked. This may mean watering once or twice a week until the tree is settled well in its new home. For the first two weeks to a month, depending on weather and environmental conditions.
When to plant
Spring / Early Autumn
Where to plant
- Full sun / partial shade
- At least 6 - 8 hours of direct sunlight each day.
- Thrives in well-drained, sandy or loamy soil.
Germination time
2 - 4 weeks
When can I regrow
Wait until the next growing season.
Plant Specs
- Flowers: Small, greenish-white to yellowish-white, bell-shaped, and bloom in clusters during late summer and autumn.
- Leaves: Leathery, dark green on top, dull underneath, and spirally arranged, with a tough, rubbery texture.
- Height: 10 - 15 meter
