Evergreen trees

brad16 says...
Hi Dan,

I'd be looking at natives.
There's a bottle-brush (Callistemon of some sort) out the front here and is located near overhead power lines. It has been there for a very long time and has maxed out at about the height of the power lines. Ausgrid comes around every once in while to trim the trees and I don't remember the Callistemon ever getting a good prune down, maybe just a bit of clip for good measure, while Eucalypts and what not get pretty heavily chainsawed.

It seeds quite heavily, drops lots of leaves (which is good mulch) but is definitely not deciduous. As a shade tree, it is awesome for something of that height.

Its water requirements are quite low. Some seeds sprouted in pots I had nearby, that I never watered but they didn't mind at all, while lots of other plants died of dehydration.

They attract lorikeets and are easy on the eyes. Being here on the coast, my drought conditions aren't as severe as yours in Coonabarabran (I have relatives there), but Callistemons are among some of the ones that have best tolerated my ignorance and water deprivation.

Some others I could suggest from first hand experience don't meet your needs as I like very large trees. I'm only recommending the Callistemon because of the one I've seen max out near the power lines.

They are undaunted by the temperatures and are what comes first to mind for your criteria. I'm not sure how they would be in a bush fire. They don't give off a fire retardiness vibe , but you could easily check that out if that is also a concern you have.

There are lots of drought hardy natives, but like Eucalypts, a lot don't have much of a canopy. Another strong point for the Callistemon.

Good luck.

Edit: How silly of me. A picture tells 1000 words. I just attached 2000 words.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
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