The Red Flowering Gum (Corymbia ficifolia) is one of Australia’s most spectacular flowering trees. This Western Australian native is extremely rare in the wild, yet it is widely cultivated across Australia and internationally. Loved for its bold summer display, Corymbia ficifolia typically flowers from mid to late summer, producing dense clusters of showy blooms that attract birds and pollinators.
Flower Colour Variation in Red Flowering Gum
Despite its common name, Red Flowering Gum flower colour varies dramatically. Natural colour forms range from pale pink and soft rose through to orange, scarlet, deep crimson red, and even cream.
Plants grown from seed can differ significantly from the parent tree. As a result, gardeners often experience disappointment when a seed-grown Red Flowering Gum finally flowers after 7–10 years, only to reveal an unexpected colour. This unpredictability is one of the biggest challenges when growing Corymbia ficifolia from seed.
Grafted Red Flowering Gum: Guaranteed Colour and Early Flowering
To solve this issue, the best Corymbia ficifolia selections are now produced as grafted varieties. Grafting ensures the flower colour and form match the selected parent tree exactly.
A major advantage of grafted Red Flowering Gum trees is their ability to flower very early. Many grafted plants bloom within their first year, rather than taking a decade to mature. This makes them ideal for home gardens, streetscapes, and feature plantings.
New grafted varieties are released regularly as breeders continue to select superior flowering forms with outstanding colour, compact growth, and reliable performance.
Corymbia ficifolia Hybrid Varieties
Corymbia ficifolia can cross with a tropical species Corymbia ptychocarpa. Resultant hybrids are marketed as ‘Summer Red’, ‘Summer Beauty (pale pink), and ‘Summer Glory’ (pink). These hybrids often flowers sporadically in different months of the year to the typical ‘Red Flowering Gum’.
Growing and Caring for Red Flowering Gum Trees
Growing conditions:
- Full sun for best flowering
- Well-drained soil
- Adapts to most soil types once established
Grafted plant care:
- Monitor the rootstock during the first year
- Remove any shoots that appear below the graft union
Advantages of Grafted Corymbia ficifolia
Grafting offers several key benefits:
- Guaranteed flower colour and form
- Earlier flowering, often in the first year
- Superior selections from elite parent trees
- More compact tree size due to continuous early flowering
Because of these advantages, grafted Red Flowering Gums are now the preferred choice for gardeners seeking reliable colour, manageable size, and spectacular summer impact.
