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White Cedar

Also known as Cape Lilac. It reaches maturity when it is 6 – 10 years old and lives for about 20 years.

Deciduous tree, usually 10 – 15 m high but can reach 45 m in its natural environment. Its canopy is 6 – 8 m wide.

Leaves

Bright glossy green and oval in shape, 2 – 7 cm long and 1 – 3 cm wide. They are arranged either side of a 12 – 45 cm long stem and turn yellow in late autumn before falling from the tree in winter.

Flowers

Pale purple to white, star-shaped, forming clusters that are 10 – 20 cm long. Each individual flower is about 2 cm in diameter and consists of 5 petals. The flowers have a chocolate scent!

Fruits/Seeds

Round, yellow berries, 1 – 2 cm in diameter, grow in clusters.

Field Guide

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  • Species Category: Plants
  • Species origin: Native
  • Conservation status: Common

  • What to Observe

    • First fully open single flower

    • Full flowering (record all days)

    • End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)

    • First fully open leaf

    • Leaves open (record all days)

    • First leaf to change colour

    • Leaves changing colour (record all days)

    • First leaf to drop this year

    • 50% or more of leaves dropped (record all days)

    • No leaves (record all days)

    • Fruit fully ripened/berry reached full size (record all days)

  • When and Where

    When To Look

    • Most of the year
    • Leaves appear in late spring
    • Flowers appear in spring and can last into summer
    • Fruits appear after flowering, usually in autumn
    • Leaves change colour in autumn before falling in winter

    Where To Look

    • From north Queensland to southern NSW, usually within 100 km of the coast
    • Also in the Kimberley region in northern Western Australia, and in the tropical areas of the Northern Territory
    • Distribution extended as it is widely planted in urban areas and birds readily disperse its seeds
    • In dry, coastal and subtropical rainforests, along stream banks and in valleys
    • Common in urban areas, particularly in parks, public gardens and along stream banks and streets

  • What Else?

    The White Cedar is one of only a few native Australian plants that are seasonally deciduous in winter, although many species drop their leaves during droughts, particularly those in the north.
  • Trails: Australian National Botanic Gardens ACT, Bibra Lake WA, Bournda EEC NSW, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha QLD, Canning River Regional Park WA, Cumberland Land Conservancy Wallaroo NSW, Cumberland Land Conservancy Wombat NSW, Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens QLD, James Cook University Cairns QLD, James Cook University Townsville QLD, Kangaroo Valley PS NSW, Monash University VIC, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne VIC, Sunshine Coast Maroochy Wetlands QLD, Sydney Olympic Park NSW, University of Sydney NSW, University of Western Australia WA
  • Species Region: Australia