Christmas Tree

~ Nuytsia floribunda ~

LORANTHACEAE

Also known as the Western Christmas Tree thanks to its vivid golden blooms flowering during our Australian summer festivities, Nuytsia floribunda is the largest parasitic plant in Australia and one of the largest in the world. It’s our country’s most iconic root hemiparasitic plant species and sits in the Mistletoe family alongside our Harlequin Mistletoe (see p. 169). It attaches itself to the roots of a wide range of host plants (such as Calothamnus quadrifidus and Xanthorrhoea preissii) by slicing into the host’s root system and basically sucking the water and mineral nutrients from them. The Christmas Tree is also known for its incredible cultural, edible and spiritual significance for the Noongar People of south-west Western Australia. This tree is truly one of our most fascinating flowering plants and quite the visual feast to see in the wild.

WHERE TO LOOK

See the Christmas Tree in the rich floral regions of the south-west corner of Western Australia around Esperance, Albany and Perth in Kwongan heath, Banksia woodlands and forests on sandy soils and rocky outcrops.

Locations → WA: Cape Le Grand National Park, Cape Arid National Park, Fitzgerald River National Park, Stirling Range National Park, Kooljerrenup Nature Reserve, Mount Lindesay National Park and Waychinicup National Park.

FEATURES

This tree can be low in habit or grow to 12m with fleshy or leathery leaves growing to 10cm in maturity. Its fire flowers are inflorescences made up of many flowers and bloom in prolific numbers after fire. The dry fruit is 2–3cm wide and known to be dispersed by wind. Long suckers have been seen over 100m away from the mother tree searching for new hosts.

FLOWERING SEASON

Summer → This tree’s golden-orange flowers bloom over the Christmas period from October through to February.

TRADITIONAL USES

Noongar Elders, who spoke with Ken Macintyre and Barb Dobson, said this tree holds great cultural and spiritual significance for the Noongar People, who regard it as a sacred tree, where spirits of the newly dead are to be found. Bibbulmun People from Noongar south lands would not touch the tree out of reverence, whereas, in northern Noongar culture, people would wear the flowers in meetings, and the roots and sugary suckers were known to be eaten.

PLANTING

Propagation is possible by cuttings and seeds, with germination happening between 22 and 90 days. The Christmas Tree will require around ten years to mature and is unfortunately known to be short-lived in cultivation.