Plant of the month 10/2024: Cananga odorata

Photo: Ishara Udawela

Cananga odorata (Annonaceae) occurs naturally in Queensland between Torres Strait and the Tully River. It is also native to parts of SE Asia and Near Oceania. Cananga odorata typically grows in lowland rain forest and, under good condtiions, it develops into a substantial tree (photo below).

Photo: Russell Cumming

Although Townsville is south of Cananga odorata’s natural range, specimen trees have grown well Townsville’s botanic gardens and, as we discovered recently, Cananga odorata can also succeed in a home garden. Ishara takes up the story…

“I’ve usually seen Cananga odorata as a large rainforest tree with the canopy high above and with no hopes of seeing or smelling the flowers. So, imagine my surprise while walking down a street in Forrest Beach when a branch filled with fragrant flowers brushed my face.” (photo below)

Photo: Ishara Udawela

“Later I revisited this tree together with some NPQ members. Beth with her extensive knowledge explained how the tree was a primitive (old world) tree of the Annonaceae family within the order Magnoliales – in the photo below, note the similar flower structure to magnolias.”

Photo: Russell Cumming

“We noticed some Cananga odorata fruits developing (photo below) and Beth explained that the carpels in the flowers are free and not fused, which gives rise to several fruits forming from a single flower, as opposed to the usual one fruit from one flower in less primitive species.”

Photo: Julia Hazel

Essential oil known as ylang-ylang is extracted from flowers of Cananga odorata and the species is cultivated in plantations for this purpose. Ylang-ylang is one of the most extensively used natural scents in the perfume industry.

A note for gardeners: Regular pruning might be necessary to keep Cananga odorata to a suitable size for a small garden. We noticed the main trunk of that suburban tree appeared to have been broken or cut, possibly to limit its height. This seemed to have promoted branches sprouting from the lower part of the trunk.