Dwarf apple

Appearance

The dwarf apple grows as a small tree or mallee to 7 m high. It has greyish flaky bark. Like other members of the genus "Angophora" and unlike other eucalypts, the leaves are arranged oppositely along the stem. Sitting on petiole 0–4 mm long, the leaves are ovate to elliptic in shape, and measure 5–10 cm in length and 3–4.5 cm across, with a blunt rounded apex, and a cordate base. They are pale yellow-green above and greyish on their undersurface. New growth is covered in reddish hairs. Flowering takes place from November to January. The showy creamy-white flower heads are terminal and umbellate, each composed of three to seven flowers on 0.8–3.2 cm long pedicels, which in turn branch off from a 1.5–7 cm long peduncle. Like the new leaves and stems, developing buds are covered in reddish hair. Globular in shape with longitudinal ribbing, they grow to a diameter of 0.9–1.3 cm.

The flowers fall leaving the cup-shaped woody seed pods or fruit, which measure 1.5–2.6 cm long and 1.3–2 cm in diameter. These shed the mature seed in February and March. The oval-shaped seeds are brown and flat, measuring 0.8–1 cm long.

Distribution

The dwarf apple is found only in the Sydney Basin, as far south as O’Hares Creek off the Georges River, on dry sandstone soils low in nutrients. The associated plant communities are heath, scrubland or open woodland, with such species as scribbly gums, red bloodwood, narrow-leaved apple, heath banksia, rusty banksia, silver banksia, conesticks, scrub sheoak, wax flower and parrot pea. It grows from sea level to an altitude of 300 m and with an annual rainfall of 800 to 1600 mm.

Habitat

The dwarf apple is found only in the Sydney Basin, as far south as O’Hares Creek off the Georges River, on dry sandstone soils low in nutrients. The associated plant communities are heath, scrubland or open woodland, with such species as scribbly gums, red bloodwood, narrow-leaved apple, heath banksia, rusty banksia, silver banksia, conesticks, scrub sheoak, wax flower and parrot pea. It grows from sea level to an altitude of 300 m and with an annual rainfall of 800 to 1600 mm.The dwarf apple regenerates from bushfire by resprouting from its woody base, known as a lignotuber, or epicormic shoots. It can flower within a year of being burnt and plays an important role as a food source for nectar-eating insects after bushfire.

The flowers attract birds, such as the noisy miner and wattlebirds, and a wide variety of insects, including honeybees, native bees, flies, moths and butterflies, and a wide array of beetles, including the rose chafer, green-velvet flower chafer, the variable jewel beetle, the cowboy beetle, and a scarab beetle "Bisallardiana gymnopleura", as well as members of the scarab genus "Phyllotocus" and soldier beetle genus "Telephorus".

The dwarf apple is a host for larvae of froghoppers, known as spittlebugs.

"Angophora hispida" has been recorded as a host for the mistletoe species "Muellerina eucalyptoides".

Cultural

This is a small tree suitable for larger gardens, its red new growth and profuse white flowers are attractive horticultural features. Flowering in summer, the flowers attract brightly coloured beetles. It requires a sunny aspect and good drainage to grow well.