An under-utilised native tree: Glochidion ferdinandi

This is the ever adaptable Cheese tree Glochidion ferdinandi, I would love to see these used more widely in our streetscape as street trees but also as shade trees in gardens or parks. They have the same glossy luscious look as a Lilly Pilly or Waterhousia but with the added benefit of being semi-deciduous in winter.

Glochidion ferdinandi is named after its sweet little cheese parcel shaped fruit which burst open to reveal bright red seeds which attract a range of fruit and seed eating birds including the, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Olive-backed Oriole, rainforest pigeons and doves, and parrots.

The Cheese tree grows from anywhere between 5 and 20 metres, sometimes it can be seen as a suckering shrub if it’s in an unfavourable or stress inducing position.
The leaves are a food source for the larvae of the Shining Pencil-blue Butterfly.

The dense crown of Glochidion ferdinandi lends it to be utilised as a great screening tree or it can even be clipped to create a tall hedge. It grows quickly and once established is very hardy.
What more could you ask for from a native tree?

Posted

13/04/2020

Bird attracting, Illawarra natives, Medium Tree

Kath Gadd

Tags:

butterfly attracting, fast growing, Glochidion ferdinandi, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Olive-backed Oriole, privacy screen, semi-deciduous, shade tree, Street Trees, wildlife habitat, wind tolerant

Comments

20 responses to “An under-utilised native tree: Glochidion ferdinandi”

Delwyn Polzin

30/04/2020

Are glochidion-ferdinandi trees frost and drought tolerant? We need a good shade and wind break tree around our cattle yards. I have thought about planting lilly pilly?

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  04/05/2020
  
  Hi Delwyn,
  
  I don’t think Glochidion ferdinandi would be tough enough as a wind break. What about a Casuarina species or a local Eucalyptus?
  
  Best,
  
  Kath
  
  Reply
John

24/01/2023

How do I get rid of the cheese tree suckers? Who do I get? It going under the house and everywhere.

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  10/02/2023
  
  Hi John,
  
  You can prune them or pull them out by hand. The suckers will be attached to roots of the main tree so you don’t want to be too vigorous pulling them out as this will also damage the main tree. The reason the main tree would be suckering is because it’s overall health of the isn’t doing very well. Some native fertilizer/care for the main tree would be a good thing to do and many a check for insect damage.
  
  Good luck,
  
  Reply
Tim Clarkson

21/02/2023

Unsure of its hardiness, but for wind break, hardy but also a rainforest tree you could look at Brush Box as an alternative. Lilly pillys are drought hardy when older, but will need shading abd watering a lot while small.

Reply
Pat

16/03/2023

Are the leaves good for compost?

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  06/04/2023
  
  Hi Pat,
  
  Yes, they should be fine in the compost,
  
  Best,
  
  Kath
  
  Reply
Carolyn

13/04/2023

Thank you for this article. I have found Glochidian species to be very hardy. They are also beautiful. They prune up well and remain glossy green when other other plants are suffering during those dry times. Of course, it is difficult for some to let go of the usual screening plants sold in nurseries. Good on you for recommending something different.

Reply
Pauline

25/09/2023

Hello Kath!
I read recently that the roots of the Cheese tree can be toxic to dogs! I’m concerned because my daughter’s dog is a ground forager and has been eating the green fruit that the birds drop and also digging in the area!
The tree is on my neighbour’s property but overhangs my yard.
Is the fruit toxic to dogs and how far below the ground surface are the roots please?

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  26/10/2023
  
  Hi Pauline,
  I have just done a bit of research about the toxicity of this plant and read one article describing 2 dogs having eaten the roots of this plant and surviving liver failure, would this be what you have read? I cannot see any evidence of the fruit being toxic.
  Is your daughters dog ok after consuming the fruit?
  Best Wishes
  Kath
  
  Reply
Matt

30/09/2023

Hello, hoping you can give some advice on my cheese tree. I have a couple of them that have been working as a great privacy screen, they are well established and at least 15m tall. I’m worried as it has come into spring and they have lost more than 70% of their leaves and they are still dropping. We have only have had a couple of unseasonable hot days so far so not sure if it was the heat, can’t detect and pests. And I have been on the property for many years and have never witnessed them
Losing this many leaves before – any ideas would be be most appreciated.

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  26/10/2023
  
  Hi Matt,
  The Cheese tree is semi-deciduous so is not unusual to loose leaves but as you said you haven’t witnessed this amount previously. I have wondered if your unseasonably hot days were also windy?
  It is a rainforest tree that does like to be sheltered so if it has been windy this may be the cause.
  Best wishes,
  Kath
  
  Reply
Frances Fordham

03/10/2023

Hi Kath,
I have a fabulous 25 year old cheese tree that is 12 metres high. Sadly it has to be removed later this year. I know the wood, leaves and fruit are non toxic so can compost some of it.
However there will be a huge amount of trunk to dispose of so wondering about other uses. Could it be dried to make some plank benches to sit on in garden? I know it is not considered termite resistant but know nothing about how easy the wood can be turned etc.
Would it be safe to give logs to my neighbours to burn in their fire pits and wood bar b q?
Any ideas welcome

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  26/10/2023
  
  Hi Frances,
  Could you possibly mulch the trunk and use the mulch on-site in your garden?
  Some of our customers have repurposed trunks as bird bath stands.
  I spoke with someone about using the wood to turn into benches, they have no experience with wood from this tree but have said it could take a while to dry before using in woodwork.
  
  Reply
Kate Beat

09/09/2024

Hi,
My cheese tree drops enormous amounts of leaves continually and I think has been under caterpillar attack as so many of the leaves are munched up and I see the occasional little green caterpillars hanging down on threads. It was suggested I use an insecticide spray but given it’s height of probably 8-10m there is no way I can spray it all. I can stand of the roof of my house and spray what I can reach but that might be a 1/4 of the tree. I wonder if it’s still worth doing or any ideas would be much appreciated.
kind regards
kate

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  12/09/2024
  
  Hi Kate,
  You’re very lucky, the Glochidion ferdinandia is the only tree that the larvae of the Shining Pencil-blue Butterfly feed on. These are beautiful butterflies, this tree is used to this and will come back fighting fit. If you are concerned about new growth you could feed with a tree tablet after the caterpillars are gone and give a deep water at the drip line. Otherwise sit back and watch the process of this happening in your garden, you are helping biodiversity in your neighbourhood! Well done,
  Kath
  
  Reply
Barry

14/10/2024

I live in Tacoma NSW and have had one on my boundary with the local wetland. It goes really well, as per descriptions about 8m, soil heavy but nutrient rich clay, occasional flooding for 7 days around 30cm above ground. It also cops a flogging from or drought like hot NW’ers

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  17/10/2024
  
  Hi Barry,
  Thats great to hear, a very durable tree indeed.
  Best regards,
  Kath
  
  Reply
Bonnie

23/10/2024

Hi,
We have a large cheese tree in our front yard. It is beautiful and prevents valuable shade. However, its thick roots span the surface of our whole front yard and have filled/broken all our drainage pipes. They appear to reach the house foundations too. Are they known for having invasive roots? I can’t find anything online about whether or not their roots are generally considered invasive. It would be such a shame to remove the tree but I fear for the new ag lines we’re about to put in and our foundation.

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  28/10/2024
  
  Hi Bonnie,
  How close is the tree to the house? They are not known to have invasive roots but this would depend on the size of the tree and its location.
  If you want to keep the tree and it is very close to your house a possible solution would be to put in a root barrier.
  Best regards,
  Kath
  
  Reply