Corymbia ficifolia (red flowering gum)

Japanese name: アカバナユーカリ
Scientific name: Corymbia ficifolia

[Overview]
An evergreen small tree 2–10 m tall, sometimes reaching 15 m.
The trunk branches freely, forming a broad, rounded crown.
The bark peels off in scales or fibers.
There are two kinds of leaves: juvenile and adult.
Both juvenile and adult leaves are simple and alternate, ovate to broadly lanceolate.
Adult leaves are 7–13 cm long and 2.5–5 cm wide, dark dull green on the upper surface, sometimes slightly glossy.
The leaf margin is entire, sometimes slightly wavy.
Juvenile leaves have short petioles, while the petioles of adult leaves are 0.8–2 cm.
In Japan it mainly flowers from winter to spring.
Umbels at the branch tips bear so many flowers that they cover the tree.
The flowers open when the petals and sepals, fused into a cap, fall off, revealing many long stamens.
The stamens are bright red, orange or pink.
The fruit is a capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
Mature trees are difficult to transplant.
It can be grown outdoors in the Kanto region and south.
It prefers sandy soil in a sunny, well-drained place.
It grows well unless it is exposed to heavy frost or hot, humid summer weather persists.
Keep fertilizing and watering to a minimum.
Pests and diseases include damping-off and powdery mildew.

[Notes]
Because it was formerly included in the genus Yukari-noki, it is sold under the name Yukari.

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