Used for Aboriginal spears

Medium tree to about 30 metres in dry rainforest. It is uncommon with a number of disjunct populations. Found in South-East Queensland. The entire genus is endemic to Queensland. Flowers are small, creamy brown in branched stalks from the branchlet apex and appear January to June. Fruit is a hairy, yellow brown splitting capsule about 10 mm in diameter ripe from June to December. Good garden use, though hard to find in nurseries. It would be suitable for a larger garden or acreage planting. Flushes of new growth are red to pink turning lime green. This is a very hardy plant. Not edible. Easily propagated from fresh seed. This tree has very hard wood and was used by Aborigines (as the common name suggests) for spear construction. It has a dense upright form which is probaby why it is grown as a Brisbane City Council street tree.

Seed collecting and propagation

Fruit is a hairy, yellow brown spherical capsule 12-21 mm long and 15-22 mm diameter ripe from June to December. The fruit sits high up in the tree – too high too collect without a telescopic fruit picker. When ripe the capsule spilts and seeds spring out onto the ground. The seeds are about 9 mm by 6 mm ranging from light to dark shiny brown. Easily propagated from fresh seed.

Mature fruit of Dissiliaria baloghioides with one fruit starting to split. These fruit were on the same tree as the photo below. The fruit were ripe and splitting in late August 2026 taking seven months to ripen. Photo: Anne Jones

Immature fruit, each one only a couple of millimetres in diameter, The Gap, February 2026. Photo: Mark Crocker

Dissiliaria baloghioides seeds. Photo: Anne Jones

Dissiliaria baloghioides at Walton Bridge Reserve The Gap showing its straight column-like trunk. Photo: Anne Jones

Pink new growth. Photo: Kenneth McClymont © 2002