Hymenosporum flavum, better known as the native frangipani, is one of those trees that instantly wins people over. You’ll spot it naturally in the rainforests of New Guinea, Queensland, and New South Wales, but it’s also become a favourite in home gardens because it’s tough, good-looking, and smells amazing. It goes by a bunch of names — native frangipani, sweetshade, even Hawaiian wedding tree — which gives you a hint at how widely it’s been appreciated.
What I love most about this tree is the way it flowers. Early spring brings these beautifully scented, creamy tubular blooms that slowly turn a deep, rich yellow as they age. They look a bit like frangipani flowers, which explains the name, but the tree itself is quite different. The flowers keep coming into early summer, and when they’re done, the tree forms hard brown pods packed with papery seeds.
Despite looking tropical and delicate, native frangipani is surprisingly hardy. It handles most garden soils, prefers a sunny spot (but isn’t fussy about some shade), and once it’s established, it can even cope with a bit of frost. Because it grows tall but fairly narrow, it’s a great choice for smaller gardens where you still want a standout tree with heaps of scent and colour.
黄花海桐，俗稱本地雞蛋花，是一種能瞬間贏得人們青睞的樹木。它自然生長於新幾內亞、昆士蘭和新南威爾斯的熱帶雨林中，如今也成為家庭花園的寵兒，因為它生命力頑強、外形美觀、香氣迷人。它有許多別名——當地雞蛋花、甜蔭樹，甚至還有夏威夷婚禮樹——由此可見它廣受歡迎。
我最喜歡這棵樹的地方在於它的開花方式。早春時節，它會開出芬芳馥鬱的管狀花朵，花朵呈現乳白色，隨著時間的推移，顏色會慢慢變成深邃濃鬱的黃色。它們看起來有點像雞蛋花，這也是它名字的由來，但樹本身卻截然不同。花朵會一直開到初夏，花謝之後，樹上會結出堅硬的棕色莢果，裡面裝滿了紙質的種子。
儘管外表熱帶風情濃鬱，嬌嫩可愛，但黄花海桐卻出乎意料地耐寒。它幾乎能適應所有花園土壤，喜歡陽光充足的地方（但也能耐受一些陰涼），一旦紮根，甚至可以承受輕微的霜凍。由於它株型高大但樹冠較窄，因此對於面積較小的花園來說，它是理想之選，既能打造引人注目的景觀，又能帶來濃鬱的香氣和絢麗的色彩。
Notes 筆記
- Hymenosporum flavum, commonly known as native frangipani, is found in the rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests of New Guinea, Queensland, and New South Wales. The common names for Hymenosporum flavum include native frangipani, Queensland frangipani, sweetshade, Hawaiian wedding tree, and sweet cheesewood.
- This species is a semi-deciduous tree that can reach up to 25 m in its natural habitat. However, in cultivation it typically grows more modestly.
- It is a very fine flowering tree. Blooming begins in early spring, when the fragrant, open tubular flowers are cream-coloured. As they age, the flowers deepen to a deep sulphur yellow. In some variants, the flowers may have a reddish centre. The flowering period usually extends into early summer. The flowers are approximately 4 cm in diameter (some sources say up to 5 cm) and are borne in terminal clusters (corymbs). These blooms are sweetly scented and are about the size and shape of frangipani (Plumeria) flowers, which is how the common name is derived — though botanically the tree is not closely related to frangipani.
- The fruit develops into hard, brown capsules containing many papery, brown seeds arranged in closely packed layers.
- Native frangipani is one of the most popular Australian native plants in cultivation because it is relatively hardy. It can even perform satisfactorily in drier climates, provided there is supplementary water during dry spells. It grows well in most reasonably well-drained soils, although soils with high organic content are preferred. Thanks to its generally narrow, upright habit, the plant is well-suited for small gardens.
- While plants flower best in open, sunny locations, they can also thrive in shaded areas. Once established, they tolerate at least moderate frost.
- 黄花海桐，俗稱本地雞蛋花，生長於新幾內亞、昆士蘭和新南威爾斯的熱帶雨林和濕硬葉林中。黃花楹的別名包括當地雞蛋花、昆士蘭雞蛋花、甜蔭樹、夏威夷婚禮樹和甜乳酪木。
- 這種樹是半落葉喬木，在自然棲息地可長到 25 公尺高。然而，在人工栽培條件下，其生長高度通常較為有限。
- 這是一種非常美麗的開花喬木。早春時節，開芬芳的管狀乳白色花朵。隨著花朵逐漸成熟，顏色會加深，最後變成深硫磺黃色。有些品種的花朵中心可能呈現紅色。花期通常會持續到初夏。花朵直徑約 4 公分（有些資料顯示可達 5 公分），簇生於枝頂（繖房花序）。這些花朵香氣甜美，大小和形狀與雞蛋花（Plumeria）的花朵相似，這也是其俗名的由來——儘管從植物學角度來看，這種樹與雞蛋花並沒有密切的親緣關係。
- 果實發育成堅硬的棕色蒴果，裡面有許多紙質的棕色種子，緊密排列成層狀。
- 黄花海桐是澳洲最受歡迎的栽培本土植物之一，因為它相對耐寒。即使在較乾燥的氣候下，只要在乾旱時期補充水分，它也能生長良好。它在大多數排水良好的土壤中都能生長良好，但更偏好有機質含量高的土壤。由於其株型通常狹長直立，因此非常適合小型花園種植。
- 雖然這些植物在陽光充足的開闊地帶開花最好，但它們也能在陰涼處生長。一旦紮根，它們至少能耐受中等程度的霜凍。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Hymenosporum
- Australian Native Plants Society (Australia): Hymenosporum flavum
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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