The 'Aussie Christmas tree', Nuytsia floribunda, bursts into bright orange life each December, and how it survives is truly fascinating.
or 'Aussie Christmas tree' as it is commonly known, bursts into bright orange life each December.It is only found in the south-west corner of WA and is the world's tallest parasitic treeThis unique, giant mistletoe can only be found in the south-west corner of Western Australia and is the world's tallest parasitic tree.
It is also a powerful symbol for Noongar culture, with the spirits of ancestors resting in the branches. The specimen was the first WA wildflower recognised by Europeans after the Dutch sailed along the south coast in 1627 and spotted the brilliant golden flowers. It has also been a 40-year subject of fascination for Stephen Hopper, a professor of biology at the University of Western Australia."Its ancestry goes back 40 million years and it has a lot of remarkable attributes, for example most plants have one or two seedling leaves, this tree has four or five.
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