Toona ciliata
Red Cedar is a hardy and fast-growing deciduous tree, often deeply buttressed at the base. In urban settings it reaches 10m to 15m high with a broad, spreading crown, while in its natural habitat it can reach 40m or taller.
It is very long-lived, with a lifespan of 150 to 200 years. Its compound leaves are red when young, generally reaching 20 cm long by 6 cm wide. It loses its leaves in autumn, with new leaves appearing in early spring. The flowers are small but numerous, creamy white in colour. They generally appear in September to October. The fruit, which ripens in late summer, is a brown capsule 1.5 cm long, containing curious-looking winged seeds
Photo credit: Byron Cawthorne-McGregor on the Growing Illawarra Natives website.
