These trees – waratah and stinkwood – are members of the proteaceae, a plant family which also includes dry scrub plants such as grevilleas and hakeas.
With their smooth shiny leaves and large showy flowers, the proteaceae look like tropical invaders of our temperate rainforests.
However, stinkwood and waratah are endemic to the State and have no tropical origins at all.
Until a few years ago, very little notice was taken of these small trees. The Tasmanian waratah, with its bright red flowers is well known for its resemblance to the NSW floral emblem, and is a protected species.
Stinkwood, like many another small tree, was ignored by the first white settlers, who were far more interedted in the huge eucalypts and big stands of blackwood that grew so prolifically in the virgin bush.
No-one spared a thought for the scrubby little trees huddling in the shade of their giant neighbours.
The aboriginals living in the bush before the coming of the white man, had long known stinkwood. (The name comes from the tree’s habit of giving off a really foul smell as soon as it is cut or damaged – a survival mechanism against insects – and perhaps man!
In early summer, the tree is covered with clusters of showing white flowers hanging on long stems.
These develop into edible berries about the size of large olives. As the berries ripen, they turn a purplish-brown, and can be stewed or made into jams and jellies.
The taste is an acquired one – very tart!
We don’t know what the aboriginals called stinkwood, but other names are Port Arthur plum and native plum, as well as some unprintable ones referring to the smell!
In recent years, craft people have shown interest in stinkwood for carving and turning.
They have turned up a few surprises – the wood is far more like the dry forest timbers banksia and casuarina, than a typical wet forest timber.
It has a lovely woven effect produced by prominent medullary rays growing across the grain.
The colouring is soft pinkish tones, contrasting with reddish-brown and coffee flecks.
This magnificent dark colouring in the heart wood is actually the work of a fungus, infecting and rotting the heart of the tree!