Some suggested species for windbreaks for the NSW North Coast

Species	common name	Benefit	flowering time
Low growing species to 6m approx.
Acacia fimbriata	Fringed wattle	Pollen	Aug-Oct
*Albizia lopantha	Leopard tree	Pollen & nectar	Late winter-Oct
Banksia ericifolia	Heath banksia	Rich nectar	Feb-Oct
*Bauhinia	Butterfly tree	Nectar	Spring-summer
Buckinghamia celsissima	ivory curl flower	Nectar	Summer-autumn
Callistemon viminalis	Weeping bottlebrush	Nectar	Oct/autumn
*Crotalaria agatiflora	Bird flower	Nectar	October-July
*Embothrium coccineum	Chilean fire bush	Nectar	Oct-Dec
Hakea salicifolia	Willow leaf hakea	Nectar	Spring-Summer
Leptospermum laevigatum	Coastal tea-tree	Nectar	Aug-Dec
Leptospermum petersonii	Lemon-scented tea-tree	Nectar	Dec-Jan
Melaleuca armillaris	Bracelet honey myrtle	Nectar	Sept-Nov
*Metrosideros excelsa	NZ Christmas bush	Nectar	Nov-Jan
Schefflera actinophylia	Umbrella tree	Nectar	Feb-Aug
Mid-storey species to 15m approx.
Acacia binervata	Two-veined hickory	Pollen	Sept-Oct
Acacia elata	Cedar wattle	Pollen	Nov-Feb
Acacia longifolia	Sydney golden wattle	Pollen	July-Nov
Acacia melanoxylon	Sally wattle	Pollen	July-Oct
Acmena smithii	Narrow-leafed lilly pilly	Nectar	Sept-Jan
Banksia integrifolia	Coast banksia	Nectar	Autumn-winter
Brachychiton acerifolius	Flame tree	Nectar	Nov-Dec
Callistemon salignus	White bottlebrush	Nectar	Spring-summer
**Citharexylum spinosium	Fiddlewood	Nectar	Jan-June
***	--	--	--
Melaleuca quinquenervia	Broad leafed paperbark	Nectar	May-Aug
Melaleuca styphelioides	Prickly paperbark	Nectar	Nov-Dec
Syzygium australe	Scrub cherry	Nectar	Nov-Jan
*Syzygium jambos	Rose apple	Nectar	Sept-Mar
Syzygium leuhmanii	Riberry	Nectar	Summer
Tall species to 30m approx.
Castanospermum australe	Black bean	Nectar & pollen	Nov-Jan
Eucalyptus microcorys	Tallow wood	Nectar	Sept-Oct
Eucalyptus nicholii	Peppermint	Nectar	Autumn
Eucalyptus pilularis	Blackbutt	Nectar	Summer
Eucalyptus robusta	Swamp mahogany	Nectar	Spring
Eucalyptus sideroxylon	Ironbark	Nectar	July-Oct
Grevillea robusta	Silky oak	Nectar	Oct-Nov
These are not Australian native species. Before planting non-native species, please consider carefully whether they may become invasive in your area. * Please see comments below for caution regarding this species. *** One species removed from original article - see comment below.

Readers' Comments

I would like to advise Tropo that all varieties of honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) are declared plants in Queensland, and that Tropo's advice to use this species as a windbreak is not acceptable. It is possible that some visitors to your website reside in Queensland, and therefore your advice conflicts with the Qld Rural Lands Protection Act 1985. Furthermore, to advise the use of this species in New South Wales detracts from efforts to manage natural resources and landscapes sustainably.

A plant's ability to be invasive and the impact an invasive plant has socially, economically and environmentally are the main criteria used to assess the pest status of a species. Is it possible that you could also incorporate these criteria in your assessment of the species that you advise people to use? For example, while it is not declared in Queensland, Fiddlewood is considered to have invasive characteristics and is therefore considered to be a potentially serious environmental weed.

Elissa van Oosterhout, Environmental Weeds Extension Officer
Land Protection- Nambour, Department of Natural Resources & Mines, Ph: (07) 54512 244

Contributed by Elissa van Oosterhout Elissa.Vanoosterhout@nrm.qld.gov.au on 15 May 2003

Please understand that TROPO, as an organisation, does NOT advise on any matter. Trees species above were SUGGESTIONS by the original author only. Opinions in all TROPO Library articles are those of the original author and many were written several years ago. TROPO cautions readers NOT to regard these opinions as advice - please see introduction to library index and cautions.

TROPO welcomes informative updates from authorities. The web editor has removed this particular problem species from the list above, in the light of Elissa's comments. We have requested from Elissa a web link on current government information regarding invasive species and will add it here when received. (Comment by TROPO Web editor, Julia Hazel, 18 May 2003)

If you have some relevant experience, please send us your comments to be added to this page.

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