Native Frangipani Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Native Frangipani

Scientific classification
Genus:	Hymenosporum
Species:	flavum

The Hymenosporum flavum, also known as the native frangipani, is a beautiful tree found in rainforests. It grows naturally in Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, and also in New Guinea. This tree is the only type of plant in its group, called Hymenosporum. It is quite similar to another common plant group called Pittosporum.

Even though it's called "native frangipani," it's actually not closely related to the well-known frangipani flowers you might see. The word flavum in its scientific name is Latin for yellow, which describes the color of its flowers.

What Does Native Frangipani Look Like?
Where Does Native Frangipani Grow?
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What Does Native Frangipani Look Like?

Hymenosporum flavum flowers growing at Port Macquarie

This tree produces groups of lovely, sweet-smelling flowers in spring, usually from September to October. Each flower is about 5 centimeters wide. They start out as a creamy white color and then change to yellow as they get older. After the flowers, the tree grows long, pear-shaped seed pods. Bees, honey-eating birds, and butterflies all love to visit these flowers.

The leaves of the native frangipani are dark green and shiny. They are usually about 10 centimeters long and 4 centimeters wide. When the tree is at its best, it has many leaves on its branches, which grow in wide, spread-out layers. This makes the tree look very attractive.

Where Does Native Frangipani Grow?

The native frangipani is a popular tree to plant in gardens and public spaces. It usually grows to about 8 meters tall, but in its natural rainforest home, it can reach over 20 meters! It can grow in shady spots, but it produces the most flowers when it gets lots of sunshine.

In Australia, you can often see this tree planted along suburban streets, in shopping areas, and in walkways between tall buildings. It prefers soil that drains well and has lots of natural material in it, but it can adapt to many different soil types. Very young native frangipani plants can be easily damaged by frost. However, if you keep them in a protected spot until they are about 1 to 1.5 meters tall, they can grow well in cooler places. They just need enough water during hot, dry times.

The Hymenosporum flavum is even on the Tasmanian Fire Service's list of plants that don't catch fire easily. This means it's a good choice for planting near buildings to help protect them from fires.