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Evergreen vs Deciduous Trees: Which is Right for Your Australian Garden?

Choosing between evergreen and deciduous trees? Our guide covers climate, use cases, maintenance, and the best varieties for Australian gardens.

	Brachychiton acerifolius Illawarra Flame Tree A drought tolerant, slow growing tree native to the warmer parts of the east coast of Australia, this tree is known for its masses of crimson flowers in spring-summer when the tree is totally devoid of foilage.
	Jacaranda mimosifolia Jacaranda Tree This fast-growing tree is an elegant specimen with soft, green foliage which turns yellow in winter before shedding. Flowering occurs in summer, when purple, bell-shaped blooms are produced, covering the canopy. The seed pods are very distinct fleshy curved green pods that eventually dry and open. It is an attractive open tree with branches upwardly ascending. A great summertime feature due to its stunning purple flowers.
	Quercus coccinea Scarlet Oak Tree A highly ornamental, fast-growing, deciduous Oak which has an open, wide spreading habit. It is more rounded than Pin Oak with larger foliage showcasing a brilliant display of colour in autumn when the leaves turn an intensely vivid scarlet colour before falling. Spring sees glossy green, deeply lobed new foliage and acorns produced can take up to two years to mature starting off green and turning pale brown with a deep cap covering them by half. Young bark is relatively smooth and grey, darkening with maturity.
	Ginkgo biloba '(Male)' Maidenhair Tree (Male) This is a very slow-growing and long-lived, deciduous tree with a large and elegant habit. Considered an ancient tree, it is known to have origins dating back to Jurassic times. It has unique, double-lobed, fan-shaped leaves with veins which spread from the stalk of the leaf. Short catkins are produced, followed by yellow fruit and the foliage is a rich green, which turns a golden yellow in autumn.
	Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Tuscarora' Crepe Myrtle Tree (hot pink) This deciduous tree has small oval shaped green leaves which turn a stunning reddish/orange in autumn. The most striking part of the tree is the beautiful display of vibrant, hot pink, crinkled flowers which appear in late summer. Flowers form on new growth, and so are encouraged by winter pruning. Bark peels off to reveal a smooth trunk which is beige in colour with red-brown streaks.
	Pistacia chinensis Chinese Pistachio Tree This lovely small, deciduous tree has a moderate growth rate and great autumn colour in shades of orange, yellow and red. Bark is dark grey with shallow furrows and this variety is capable of withstanding relatively harsh conditions. Interesting pinnate leaves emerge green and leathery and although inconspicuous, clusters of small white flowers are borne in summer, followed by red drupes which mature to blue.
	Pyrus ussuriensis Manchurian Ornamental Pear Tree This Manchurian Pear is a very popular selection largely due to the brilliant display of colour in Autumn. The dark green foliage is oval in shape with serrated edges and the onset of Autumn sees this leaves turning to a rich, dark red. Wider spreading than the 'Capital' or 'Cleveland Select', this form has a dense, rounded habit maturing to be a broad, medium-sized tree. Very early flowering, dark brown buds begin to open revealing a light pink colour before bursting into a beautiful spring show of white flowers. Small fruits follow the flowers, and although they are generally unpalatable to humans, birds and other wildlife have been known to feed off them.
	Prunus lusitanica Portuguese Laurel Tree This is a very hardy evergreen shrub or small tree. Its dense habit lends itself well to hedging and screening and as it responds well to pruning, it is even ideal as a large standard. Bark is blackish-brown and the leaves are glossy, dark green and oval in shape, with new growth being lime green in colour. Small white flower heads decorate the tree in spring followed by cherry-like fruits which are green or reddish green at first, and turn dark purple or black as they ripen in late summer or early autumn.
	Magnolia grandiflora 'Kay Parris' Kay Parris Magnolia Tree, Southern Magnolia Tree (evergreen) A beautiful dense tree with small mid-green glossy leaves and brown velvety underside. It produces creamy white fragrant flowers anytime during the warmer months from November through March. The tree grows denser and flowers are bigger than 'Little Gem', making this a popular alternative. It differentiates itself from other varieties by its wavy edge to its leaf and its bright pink new growth.

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