Five years in the ground and this thing is already one of the tallest trees on the whole property, closing in on 60 feet.
The Basics
Queensland maple, Flindersia brayleyana, isn’t a true maple at all, it’s actually in the citrus family, Rutaceae, named for its maple-like lobed leaves rather than any real relation.
Origin and Habitat
Native to the tropical rainforests of the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, Australia, where it’s prized as a cabinet timber tree.
What It Looks Like
A tall, straight-trunked canopy tree with distinctive lobed leaves that really do look like a temperate maple from a distance, which is exactly the resemblance the common name is playing on.
Uses and Flavor
Not a food tree here, it’s grown for size, shade, and eventually the same pale, fine-grained timber that’s made it a valued furniture wood back in Australia.
Growing It Here
Planted two of these five years back, and they’re already the biggest trees in the whole food forest, growing faster than I ever expected. One of them has become a host tree as much as anything else at this point. We’ve got a black pepper vine climbing it, given to us by friends Mary and Krystal, and a vanda orchid sending roots down another. You can still see old cat scratch marks on the bark.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Nothing notable to report so far.
Kenta’s Take
It’s turned into more of an apartment building for other plants than a tree in its own right at this point, and I’m fine with that arrangement. Between this and mahogany, these are the two species doing the heaviest lifting for wind protection up top.