Fickle ficifolia

[Guest]

The Red-flowering Gum (Eucalyptus ficifolia)

Fickle - because there is no guarantee that the flowers will be deep-red. Any number of shades can appear after about 5 years, including tangerine, orange, through pink to white and the deep crimson that gives it it's name.
You pay your money when you buy a plant, and take your chances!

This one is flowering in our street at the moment. Soft Pink.


And in closeup.

[Phill D]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

Intreaguing plant, lovely sharp shot Lyn.

[Wee man]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

Wonderful shot of a strange looking plant bit like centre of a passionflower

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

Lovely shots Lyn. We have just bought a pink variety called 'Summer Beauty' (a grafted hybrid) for our wedding anniversary as we already have a red one. The leaf habit of our red Ficifolia is similar to your photo, but the pink potted plant seems to have longer & a more weeping habit in its leaves. This was also given as advice from one horticulturist that this tended to be the case with these pink hybrids & was another reason my wife wanted it. It's still sold as Eucalyptus even though it's now reclassified as Corymbia. It just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

I notice the ants love the flowers in yours as they do with our red one (still only 1.5m high after several years).

[Floribunda]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

Intreaguing plant, lovely sharp shot Lyn.

Wonderful shot of a strange looking plant bit like centre of a passionflower

Thanks Phill and Ed, these are flowering now and make a real show.

[Floribunda]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

Lovely shots Lyn. We have just bought a pink variety called 'Summer Beauty' (a grafted hybrid) for our wedding anniversary as we already have a red one. The leaf habit of our red Ficifolia is similar to your photo, but the pink potted plant seems to have longer & a more weeping habit in its leaves. This was also given as advice from one horticulturist that this tended to be the case with these pink hybrids & was another reason my wife wanted it. It's still sold as Eucalyptus even though it's now reclassified as Corymbia. It just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

I notice the ants love the flowers in yours as they do with our red one (still only 1.5m high after several years).

First of all, congratulations on your WA. The flowering gum will be a beautiful reminder.
There is a lovely grafted one called 'Wildfire" too, I don't know if that is your red one or not. Grown from seed is still a hit and miss affair!
I refuse to call them Corymbias.
Someone asked me about the ants ; I wasn't sure what they were up to? I am presuming they like the nectar and the bees are after the pollen? Insects aren't my big thing.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

First of all, congratulations on your WA. The flowering gum will be a beautiful reminder.
There is a lovely grafted one called 'Wildfire" too, I don't know if that is your red one or not. Grown from seed is still a hit and miss affair!
I refuse to call them Corymbias.
Someone asked me about the ants ; I wasn't sure what they were up to? I am presuming they like the nectar and the bees are after the pollen? Insects aren't my big thing.

Thanks Lyn. I'm sure it isn't 'Wildfire' (it sounds recent but I'll check up on them all at a more respectable hour) & it has been there for a while (could be 10 years maybe?). I'll see if my wife can remember when we planted it. The new one will probably go in this weekend with it still being a little warm here, but with the low 20's to follow through the week. We've lost several Banksia serratas down the back but this will be closer to the hose so it will be easier to care for while it is establishing its roots (from a 9" pot size).

[jdal]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

What strange flowers Lynn, but lovely shots.

[Floribunda]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

What strange flowers Lynn, but lovely shots.

I guess they do look a little strange John - we are so used to them, they are the norm to us.
The flowers are followed by huge gum nuts, beloved by the floral art people.

[Ann1e]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

Two lovely pix, Lyn. I love the delicate colour and the detail is superb. The dark green leaves complement the flowers beautifully. Following on from what has been said, it is wonderful for us in the UK to view flowers that are the norm to you but not grown here and vice versa. Sometimes it is just a small difference in the form but fascinating all the same!

Regards,
Ann1e

[Imageryone]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

The second shot looks very similar to fireworks. My botanist friend has a Pink one in his garden just up the road, but that has small flowers and blooms July/August.

[Zuiko]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

I think the soft pink really suits it and gives it a delicate, subtle beauty.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

The flowers are followed by huge gum nuts, beloved by the floral art people.

For the benefit of those unfamilar with some of our 'gum' trees which includes Eucalyptus, some of which are now reclassified as Corymbia (I don't like it either) & also the Angophora, here are a couple of photos to show the actual size of the E. ficifolia flower & 'gum nut' (seed case).



This shows the flower buds (pale compared to that or the red flowering gum) of the E. 'Summer Beauty', a pink flowering variety, which is a hybrid between selected parents of Eucalyptus (Corymbia) ficifolia and E. ptychocarpa (in a 9" pot), just bought this week to be planted this weekend.

[Floribunda]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

Two lovely pix, Lyn. I love the delicate colour and the detail is superb. The dark green leaves complement the flowers beautifully. Following on from what has been said, it is wonderful for us in the UK to view flowers that are the norm to you but not grown here and vice versa. Sometimes it is just a small difference in the form but fascinating all the same!

Regards,
Ann1e

Hi Ann1e. Thank you. I hope you don't get bored with my flower shots, truth is I can't get enough of looking at plants! I enjoyed Peter's Snowdrops and it is interesting to see what grows in other countries.

The second shot looks very similar to fireworks. My botanist friend has a Pink one in his garden just up the road, but that has small flowers and blooms July/August.

They ARE like fireworks - I had never thought of them like that before!

I think the soft pink really suits it and gives it a delicate, subtle beauty.

I like this soft pink one too John. There are some bright red ones that are the devil to try and get a good shot.
Ross will appreciate how I had to duck and weave to avoid the bees on this tree. Luckily they were more interested in the flowers than me. Plus it was windy, so I was quite pleased to come home with a reasonable shot!

[Floribunda]

Re: Fickle ficifolia

For the benefit of those unfamilar with some of our 'gum' trees which includes Eucalyptus, some of which are now reclassified as Corymbia (I don't like it either) & also the Angophora, here are a couple of photos to show the actual size of the E. ficifolia flower & 'gum nut' (seed case).



This shows the flower buds (pale compared to that or the red flowering gum) of the E. 'Summer Beauty', a pink flowering variety, which is a hybrid between selected parents of Eucalyptus (Corymbia) ficifolia and E. ptychocarpa (in a 9" pot), just bought this week to be planted this weekend.

Thanks for posting these Ross - will look forward to seeing your 'Summer Beauty' when it flowers.
I wasn't happy with this shot, but thought I would include it now as an example of just what a show these trees put on when they flower.