Unknown tree/shrub 7-18 August 2015

On the 7th August 2015 I discovered a second, and larger, specimen of my unknown tree/shrub. It was directly opposite the ST. Jospeh's Catholic Primary School on Scott Street, Tenterfield, NSW. It was right by the fence near the pedestrian crossing that the school children use. I was delighted, and realised my plant had probably come from further afield than my neighbour's front yard.

Photos taken on the 7th August 2015 of this second specimen.

Then on the 11th August a few more photos were taken of this 2nd specimen as seen below.

Then on the 16th August I walked passed the same plant but had no camera so no photos were taken of it. The very next day, on the 17th August, expecting to see the plant still there, it was gone. Someone had come along and removed it with minimal disturbance. They probably chopped it down to ground level as the grass growing around the base of the plant had not been disturbed at all.

Here's photos of where the unknown tree/shrub second specimen should've been, taken on the 18th August 2015.

Instead only a few leaves lay on the ground where this plant once was. The plant stood 6 feet tall before it was removed/cut down.

Now, going on the fact my plant was hard to kill and it does seem to be in the process of regrowing, this second specimen may actually grow back considering it's roots were not disturbed.

The discovery of this second specimen was purely by chance. The normal route I took into town had to be avoided because Masked Lapwings were nesting in that area and I'd already been swooped by them. To avoid the Lapwings my brother and I instead walked along Scott Street and I stumbled across this second specimen. It'd been there for years by the look of it but I only recently noticed it's existence.

I'm glad these photos were taken, by my brother as at the time I did not have a camera of my own, as at least I know what my plant will look like when it is 6 feet tall. Whether this second specimen flowered or not I will never know now.

It disturbs me that people here in town chop plants down without trying to identify the species first, or assume it is a noxious weed by the way it looks.

Comparing my specimen and this second specimen it seems that they both turn yellow in winter because of the heavy frosts and cold night time temperatures. I thought mine turned yellow because I sprayed it with Eucalyptus Oil until I discovered this second specimen and it's leaves were yellow also. Spraying mine with Eucalyptus Oil just apparently made my plant drop it's leaves. It was not the reason why it's leaves turned yellow.

Knowing this truly excites me because this plant species is really tough, so tough that a drenching of Eucalyptus Oil spray won't kill it. My plant took the spray in it's stride, dropped a few leaves, and just kept surviving. They also seem to be drought resistant once they start getting bigger than one foot tall. Surprisingly their roots are slow to grow too so you could easily transplant one that's 6 feet tall without any problems.