Philenoptera violacea or rain tree

The rain tree, as Philenoptera violacea is commonly known, grows a sometimes sparse, irregularly rounded crown. The pale trunk, smooth to cracked and flaking, becomes buttressed with age.

The spring or summer bunches of lilac, purple, blue or white flowers add to the tree’s appeal. It is called rain tree because of the watery liquid that drips from its branches in season when spit bugs or Ptyelus grossus suck sap from the stems, generating a froth.

When the tree is found in ecozones away from riverbanks, it is often in places enjoying higher rainfall or frequently becoming waterlogged (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993).