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Cardwellia is a monotypic genus (i.e. a genus that contains only one species) in the protea and macadamia family Proteaceae. The sole described species is Cardwellia sublimis − commonly known as northern silky oak or bull oak − which is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia. It was first described in 1865 and has been classified as a least concern species. Its timber has been used for house construction and furniture.
Cardwellia sublimis was harvested extensively in the past for its highly-regarded timber, which was widely used in houses of the traditional "Queenslander" style, especially for windows. It was also commonly used for furniture, joinery and flooring. In limited supply today, it is now used mostly for cabinet work and veneers.
Attempts to grow Cardwellia sublimis in plantations have not been very successful, however it has good potential as a park and street tree due to its large size, attractive foliage and showy flowering displays. It is readily propagated from seed (although seed must be fresh, stored for less than 6 weeks) and has been grown successfully in Melbourne.
Cardwellia sublimis is endemic to a small part of northeastern Queensland, occurring from the area around Rossville south to the Paluma Range National Park, and from the coastal flats to the adjacent ranges and tablelands. It grows in rainforest on a variety of soil types, and at altitudes from sea level to around 1,300 m (4,300 ft).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cardwellia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
