low; moderate; drought hardy
cream December to March; summer autumn
sun; semi-sun; feature tree; wildlife insects; narrow spaces;
woodland forest; grassland
highveld; bushveld savanna; subtropical east coast
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The semi-deciduous Lavender Tree is a slender, upright species that usually grows up to 6 m in a garden. With its grey bark and shimmering green leaves, this is one of the prettiest of our local trees. Autumn leaves turn yellow and a bright orange before falling, more marked in dry, cooler regions. Fragrant pale yellow to cream flowers cover the tips of the branches from December to March, attracting a variety of insects – bees, beetles, butterflies. These in turn bring in the insectivorous birds – flycatchers, Blackheaded Oriole and Sombre Bulbul.