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A smaller tree, or mallee, reaching up to 15 m tall. It has a very restricted range, confined to northern Sydney on the Ku-ring-gai Plateau. Records are from North Sydney to Brooklyn.
It is typically found on sandstone and transitional sandstone-shale habitats, on ridges and higher slopes.
The bark is fibrous and continuous, grey to brown.
The juvenile foliage / coppicing growth is usually narrow-lanceolate to 9 cm long and to 2 cm wide, mid to dark green in colour.
The adult leaves remain opposite to sub-opposite, lanceolate, to 11 cm long and up to 1.5 cm wide with a petiole to 1 cm; green to dark-green in colour and sometimes glossy. The leaves are not overly odorous. The undersides of the leaves are much paler, with a distinctive fine reticulate venation which aids identification. The leaves are also held rigidly on the branchlets.
The primary inflorescence of “eucalypts” (Angophora / Corymbia / Eucalyptus) is an umbellaster (an umbel-like cluster of flowers). In Angophora, the flower still retains its small and free petals and sepals. They are not fused into a calyptra / operculum which is shed, as in Eucalyptus and Corymbia.
Flower buds are produced in umbellasters of 3 to 7, ovoid to globose to about 6 mm long and to 8 mm wide. The petals are very short – about 3 mm long. The buds are usually green in colour. Flowering can be observed in December to February and individual flowers are up to 1 to 2 cm across, bright cream to white. Like Corymbia spp., Angophora spp. have flowers positioned beyond the foliage at the terminals. The umbellasters are often arranged in compound groups.
The capsules are ovoid to globose with conspicuous ribs and teeth, smaller than those of A. hispida or A. costata, to 10 mm long by 12 mm wide with a flat disc.
This is a much more suited Angophora for small gardens. It typically grows to about 10 m tall and is usually found smaller in the wild. It has a typically narrow canopy-spread. A useful tree in landscaping. They could be tried as a specimen tree in a larger yard within a lawn or in a spot where it is difficult getting other small trees to grow.
It is naturally found on a sandy soil. Very useful on a rocky ridge or shallow soil.
Very attractive flowers in Summer. It could be trained as a mallee once established by frequent cutting and pruning of main stems.
Not overly popular with gardens in these modern times but a very reliable and attractive small tree.
Angophora spp. can suffer problems from, caterpillars, leaf eating beetles, psyllids and borers to name a few. In undisturbed conditions, the numbers of eucalypt-feeding insects and their predators and parasites are in balance, so that they rarely cause tree death and most trees quickly recover from attack. In a home situation nature can get out of balance.
Seed would work best.
Cuttings are difficult to start, but can be used in some species.
Angophora is one of three similar genera that are commonly referred to as “eucalypts”, the others being Corymbia and Eucalyptus.
Angophora crassifolia is very similar to A. bakeri. Note that some botanists treat this taxon as a subspecies of A. bakeri where it is differentiated only by its rigid thicker leaves. Otherwise, there are no significant differences.
Regenerates very quickly after fire from lignotuber and epicormic shoots with coppicing growth.
Angophora is a genus of 10 to 13 species (dependent on results of ‘lumping’ and ‘splitting’), endemic to Australia, occurring only in the eastern mainland states. All 10 to 13 species can be found in New South Wales.
Angophora – from the Greek word Angeio (spelt αγγειο) which means “vessels” such as “vases” or “pots”, and –phora meaning “bringing forth” or “carrying”, relating to the vase-like fruits (capsules) of many species.
crassifolia – Latin – crassus – meaning “fat” or “thick” – and –folia – referring to the thickish leaves of the species.
This species is not considered to be at risk of extinction in the wild. It does have a very limited geographic range.
NSW Flora Online (PlantNET) – Angophora crassifolia profile page
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Angophora~crassifolia
EUCLID – Centre for Australian National Biodiveristy Research
https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/entities/angophora_bakeri_subsp._crassifolia.htm
Wikipedia – Angophora bakeri subsp. crassifolia profile page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angophora_bakeri_subsp._crassifolia