On Sunday 15 June 2014, the ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher MLA, joined His Excellency Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of Singapore and his wife, Mrs Mary Tan, to plant a pink silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) in the Central Valley of the National Arboretum Canberra.
The Chief Minister, His Excellency and his wife were also joined by the Minister for Transport in Singapore, Mr Lui Tuck Yew; the High Commissioner for Singapore, Mr Michael Teo and the Australian High Commissioner to Singapore, Mr Phillip Green, and Members of the Advisory Board of the National Arboretum Canberra.
The pink silk tree joins over 50 other rare and symbolic trees planted by Australian and international dignitaries and well known public figures. The pink silk tree is a hardy, small deciduous tree native to south-western and eastern Asia. It can grow to about 10 metres high and 6 metres wide and in extreme conditions, surviving in temperatures as low as -25oC.
The sweetly-scented flowers of the pink silk tree are beautiful, just one of the many reasons the National Arboretum Canberra grows a forest of these trees in Forest 6, just near the himalayan cedar forest (Forest 11).
The pink silk tree, Albizia julibrissin, is also known as the Persian silk tree, pink siris, lenkoran acacia, shabkhosb ('night sleeper' in Iranian) and rato siris (Nepali).
Origin of the species name
- Albizia is named after Filippo del Albizzi, an Italian nobleman.
- julibrissin is based on the Persian words gul-i abrisham which mean silk flower.
Further Reading
- Polunin O. and Stainton A. (2010) Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Publishers.
Ceremonial trees planted from around the world
The National Arboretum Canberra is home to almost 50,000 trees from more than one hundred nations.
Many Australian and international leaders and public figures have planted ceremonial trees at the National Arboretum, including Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; Mr Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary- General; His Excellency Jose Ramos-Horta, President of the Republic of Timor-Leste; Australian author, Mr Thomas Keneally; Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark; His Majesty Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. Read more about ceremonial tree plantings at the Arboretum.
Through global tree conservation and research, ceremonial tree plantings and other special events, the National Arboretum Canberra builds partnerships with local, national and international organisations, individuals and communities.