Pride Of Bolivia Tipuana tipu

Tipu carries a broad, flat topped canopy of ferny pinnate leaves on a short trunk, and that shape is why it gets planted: wide cover from a comparatively low frame. In early summer it covers itself in apricot yellow pea flowers, followed by winged pods that helicopter down for weeks. It is deciduous, going bare briefly in late winter, which lets winter sun back into a house it shades all summer. Its landscape use is straightforward: a shade tree for parks, acreage and wide lawns with genuine room.

Where a tipu belongs

It comes from Bolivia and northern Argentina and suits warm temperate through subtropical Australia, from Perth and Adelaide across to Sydney, Brisbane and the warmer inland districts. Young trees want frost protection, and it is a warm climate tree that never enjoys a cold wet winter. Soil is not a limitation, and it will grow in ordinary suburban ground as readily as in deep loam. The failure mode is roots. Tipuana roots run shallow and strong, they are well known for lifting paving, kerbs, driveways and shallow services, and several Australian councils have taken the species off their street tree lists for that reason alone. Plant it well clear of paths, pipes, tanks, pools and boundary fences, with unrestricted ground around it. Expect steady litter, leaves, flowers and pods in turn, and note that sap sucking insects can leave a sticky film on cars parked underneath in some seasons. Given room, none of that matters. Given a suburban front verge, all of it does.

Tipu, leopard tree and Italian alder

Leopard tree is the direct alternative and the comparison is worth making carefully. Both are warm climate shade trees with root reputations, but the leopard tree throws lighter, more dappled shade and has the mottled bark as a feature, while tipu gives denser cover and more litter. For a lawn you want to keep, take the leopard tree; for maximum shade over a paddock, a driveway turning circle or a park, take the tipu. In cool districts neither is right, and Italian alder is the deciduous tree to use instead, upright and narrow where the tipu is wide. Other sizes are listed under semi advanced trees.

Early shaping, then leave it alone

All the useful pruning happens in the first few years. Prune in late winter before bud burst, establish a single leader, remove tight forks that will split later, and lift the crown gradually to the clearance you need. After that, prune only dead or damaged wood, because heavy cuts on an established tipu bring up a mass of watershoots and create wounds that take years to close. Feed young trees in spring while they build the canopy; mature trees rarely need it. Stake only if the site demands it, and take the ties off after a year so the trunk builds its own taper. Keep a wide mulched circle rather than turf over the root zone while the tree establishes.

Choosing a size

This plant is available in 4 sizes, from 30L up to 200L, priced from $199.00 to $899.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to when to plant in Australia.