December 4th, 2025Beetham’s Botanicals

Well here I am again penning another column for you, the reader, to enjoy...

Well here I am again penning another column for you, the reader, to enjoy…
This time I’ll be featuring summer-flowering trees and shrubs that will continue to brighten up the garden after the riot of spring colour is beginning to fade.
So here, in alphabetical order, is a selection of species that do well here in the Central Highlands of Victoria and are, for the most part, readily available in the nursery trade.

1. Carpenteria californica (Californian bush anemone) forms a medium-sized evergreen shrub native to California that can be smothered in white flowers with a boss of yellow stamens in the middle (see below image) and here’s a tip: best to prune back after flowering to encourage more bushy growth, as this shrub can become quite leggy otherwise.

2. Catalpa x erubescens ‘purpurea’ (purple-leaved Indian bean tree) can be obtained as bare-rooted stock in winter and will stun you with lovely emerging purple-tinted heart-shaped large leaves that are followed by trusses of predominantly white orchid-like flowers (see below image)…it grows into a medium-sized deciduous tree (of garden origin) that does best in full sun.

3. Corymia ficifolia (red flowering gum) is an evergreen Western Australian native medium-sized tree that is now usually grafted to ensure flowering at a younger age. And what a flower – ranging from orange through to orange-red, it is one of the most outrageous flowering trees around but be careful choosing this plant as it is seriously attractive to bees.
4. Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive) may be hard to find but this European evergreen medium-sized spreading tree has excellent willow-like grey foliage that gives way to sweetly scented small yellow flowers that may be followed by olive-like brownish-red fruits that are best used for making jellies and preserves.
5. Heptacodium miconioides (seven-son flower) can be found in rare plant nurseries and is well worth tracking down, as this multi-trunked (Chinese) tall tree-like deciduous shrub has many ornamental characteristics such as attractive stringy bark, beautiful scented flowers (see below image) that, after falling, reveal a display of crimson-red bracts (calyces) that make it appear to be fruiting.

6. And here is a short list of other species that you might like to consider planting in your old or new garden: Clethra arborea (lily-of-the-valley tree) is an evergreen, tall upright tree from the Canary Islands; dichroa x versicolor (evergreen hydrangea) is a medium-sized shrub of garden origin; grevillea robusta (silky oak) is a tall upright evergreen tree native to eastern parts of northern NSW and southern Queensland; hebe cvs (garden veronica) are evergreen small to medium-sized shrubs of garden origin; Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Apple Blossom’ (rose-of-china) is a small tree, best planted against a wall facing the sun, of garden origin; lagerstroemia cvs (crepe myrtle) are lovely ornamental small trees of garden origin and telopea speciosissima ‘Wirrimbirra White’ (waratah – see QR code) can form a small tree and is of garden origin.
And there you have it. Some exotic and Australian native trees and shrubs to consider planting as part of a seasonal palette of flowering plants throughout the year.