Brisbane tree guide

Tulip satinwood

Rhodosphaera rhodanthema · also called Deep yellowwood, Yellow cedar

The tulip satinwood is a native rainforest tree of South East Queensland and northern New South Wales, also called deep yellowwood after the colour of its heartwood. In spring it carries sprays of tiny pinkish-red flowers, and female trees follow with clusters of shiny brown fruit that hang on for months. In gardens it usually grows 8 to 12 metres tall, with a clear trunk and an open crown that gives shade.

Native to South East Queensland
8 to 12 m tall
Flowers September to November

Free quote 0438 988 985

A tulip satinwood tree — Photo: Casliber, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tulip satinwood at a glance

Height: 8 to 12 m (up to 20 m in the wild)
Spread: 8 to 12 m
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Red, pink, September to November
Origin: Dry rainforest from the Mary River and Bunya Mountains (Qld) south to the Macleay River (NSW)
Family: Anacardiaceae

How to identify a tulip satinwood

Tulip satinwood has compound leaves 8 to 20 cm long, each with 3 to 11 pointed leaflets that are often lopsided at the base, with tiny tufts of hair in the vein angles underneath. Young plants carry lobed, oak-like leaves. The bark is brown to grey and scaly, and young twigs are dotted with reddish pores. In spring, sprays 10 to 20 cm long of tiny pinkish-red flowers appear at the branch tips. Each tree is either male or female, and only females carry the round, shiny brown fruit, about 1 cm across, often likened to Jaffas. Without flowers or fruit it can be mistaken for white cedar, an unrelated tree.

Growing a tulip satinwood in Brisbane

This is a local tree. It grows naturally in the dry rainforests and vine scrubs of South East Queensland, and Flora of Australia cites a specimen from Gold Creek Reservoir in Brisbane's west. Ipswich City Council lists it among the native trees of its dry vine forests, and Noosa Council includes it on its preferred species list. In a garden it wants full sun and copes with clay, loam or sand. Once established it needs little extra water and handles dry spells and frost.

What to watch out for

Tulip satinwood isn't on Brisbane City Council's weed list or Queensland's restricted list. The main nuisance is fruit: female trees can carry heavy crops of hard, round fruit that drop and roll on paths and paving, so keep it away from walkways, pools and driveways. In rainforest it can reach about 20 metres, so give it room well away from the house.

Falling fruit. Female trees can carry a lot of hard, round fruit that drops and can roll underfoot on paths and paving.

Pruning and care

Tulip satinwood is hardy and needs little attention once established. Give it a sunny spot in well-drained soil and water young trees through dry spells until they settle in. It usually needs only light pruning: remove dead, damaged or crossing branches, and lift low limbs gradually if you want a clear trunk. Female trees can drop a lot of fruit, so plant it back from paths, pools and driveways. Large limbs or work high in the crown are a job for a qualified arborist.

Tulip satinwood: your questions

Short answers, from the sources below.

Back to the tree guide

Is tulip satinwood native to Brisbane?

Yes. Its natural range runs through the dry rainforests of South East Queensland, including the Bunya Mountains, and south to the Macleay River in New South Wales. Botanists have collected it at Gold Creek Reservoir in Brisbane.

How tall does a tulip satinwood grow?

In gardens a tulip satinwood usually reaches 8 to 12 metres with a similar spread. In rainforest it can grow to about 20 metres.

Why doesn't my tulip satinwood have fruit?

Each tree carries either male or female flowers, and only female trees produce fruit. A male tree flowers but never fruits, and a female needs a male nearby to set fertile seed.

Is tulip satinwood fruit messy?

It can be. Female trees can produce a lot of hard, round fruit about 1 cm across that rolls on hard surfaces, so plant the tree away from paths and driveways.

Compare with

Sources and credits

Photo: Casliber, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This profile updates sheet 1 of the plant profile booklet made for Colourful Tree Lopping in 2013. We checked every fact against current sources and rewrote it for the guide.

Checked October 2026. Weed listings and council rules change: check the council's and the Queensland Government's pages before you act.