Gardening: Neil Fisher’s take on Aramac, the poinciana capital of Queensland

It is one of the oldest towns in the central west and is steeped in history. One of its beautiful features attracts visitors from thousands of kilometres away.

Aramac is one of the oldest towns in the central west and is steeped in history.

Originally known as Marathon, the town was later renamed after Robert Ramsay Mackenzie, who first explored the area, carved his name, R R Mac on a tree.

The tree was found by the explorer William Landsborough and the name Aramac was born.

Aramac was one of the biggest wool producers in Australia but it’s the history of the local cattle industry that has made the town famous.

The infamous Harry Redford, Captain Starlight, was a drover and cattle duffer who stole cattle from the Aramac area and drove them to South Australia.

Among the cattle he stole was a white bull from Bowen Downs which nearly proved to be his undoing.

The story of Captain Starlight’s daring escapades has been retold in many forms.

Aramac’s poinciana-lined Gordon Street has a statue of the white bull and each year visitors can join the community in a droving trip to celebrate the connection to Captain Starlight.

Aramac has a very well planned streetscape with a number of streets lined with poincianas.

The Delonix regia or poinciana is one of the most spectacular flowering trees grown in Central Queensland.

When the poinciana reaches maturity it exhibits a beautiful umbrella shape, and when in leaf, can cast a good shade.

The spectacular flowers will develop when the tree is almost leafless.

Most commonly, the flowers are a bright to orange red, and often exhibit yellow spotting on one of the petals.

Poinciana will grow to in excess of 10m high and almost as wide, though more likely to be smaller in most garden conditions. After flowering, seed pods are borne in large numbers.

Many people still travel to Aramac just to view these red flowering trees.

This native of Madagascar is widely regarded throughout the world as one of the most spectacular flowering deciduous trees.

In recent years the Barcaldine Regional Council has started a succession plan to make sure this icon tree of Aramac will dominate the streetscape for many years to come.

This was case one recent Sunday when I drove to Aramac. Talking to some of the visitors to the town, they commented how family members described Aramac as a town of green foliage and red flowers.

While the poincianas were not in flower there were dozens of other plants species in bloom.

Callistemon Captain Cook is one of the oldest bottlebrush hybrids sold in Queensland nurseries. This shrub will grow to 2m high in most soils and is ideal for a compact and colourful windbreak. During spring and summer this shrub will be covered in red bird attracting bottlebrush flowers. Callistemon Captain Cook can flower at other times of the year.

Cassia biflorus Calypso Gold is a low multi-stemmed shrub with poinciana like foliage. Masses of small yellow flowers will appear during March and April each year. This shrub is very adaptable to gardening conditions in Central Queensland.

* Did You Know? The leaves of Cassia biflorus when crushed and boiled in water. After cooling produce a water that is particularly effective for washing smelly feet!

Clerodendrum heterophyllum is an old fashion hedging plant that is being used more often in commercial landscapes. Clerodendrum heterophyllum is a densely branched shrub with either gold or dark green foliage. With slightly fragrant white starlike flowers appear throughout the year.

Eremophila maculata or Emu Bush is extremely hardy and waterwise shrub suitable for most well drained gardens. Eremophila maculata comes in a number of varieties with some growing up to 2m high. The foliage of these plants is only small but has tropical green colouring. In Aramac there were a number of yellow and cerise flowering shrubs. Eremophila maculata can be found in colours from pale pink to purple and red to yellow.

Ixora williamsii is one of the most popular Ixoras, with magnificent bright red heads of flowers and glossy dark green leaves. Suitable for a variety of positions, this two metre shrub would make an excellent screen plant or feature plant for a tropical garden

Jasminum Sambac or Arabian Jasmine is a rambling shrub with glossy foliage and highly fragrant white flowers which will bloom over an extended period of time. It is best planted close to the house so you can enjoy the fragrance in the evening and also protect this shrub from frost. In the right location Jasminum Sambac can grow to 3m high and 2m across.

Melaleuca Snowstorm is a very dense medium to tall shrub, 2 – 2.5m x 1.5m with fine light green leaves and soft pink new growth. Masses of lacy white flowers cover the whole shrub, like snow, after rain or during spring. It requires a sunny, moist position, is frost hardy and suitable for western or coastal planting. It makes an excellent screen plant and is hardy and fast growing.

Tabebuia palmerii or Pink Tabebuia is a spectacular pink-flowering small shade tree. This tree has been used both in home gardens and street plantings. The pink bell-shaped flowers are truly a picture, but when they shed and drop to the ground, this carpet of pink is a picture.

Vitex trifolia purpurea is a stunning large shrub that produces eye-catching purple foliage. The flowers are borne on small spikes and are a soft baby blue in colour. The shrub itself will grow to around 3m high and almost as wide, and will form a great windbreak for other slower -growing shrubs.