Research in Context
Tree species with area of origin Australia and Oceania
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Lagunaria patersonii
Malvaceae
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Distribution in Athens. At the southern boroughs of Illiopolis and Argyroupoli. However it has been a preferred species for new street tree plantings at the City of Athens borough. With Jacaranda mimosifolia and Bauhinia variegata, it is used to replace mulberry trees that have been ravaged by a beetle.
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Biomes Wet Tropical
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Countries and regions
Area of Origin. Australia
Global Distribution. California, Ethiopia, Tunisia
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Cities worldwide
Tree inventories around the world.
OCEANIA: Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Sydney),
AMERICAS: Argentina (Buenos Aires), USA (Alameda county, Berkeley, Honolulu, New Orleans, Oakland, Palo Alto, Pasadena, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica)
EUROPE: Spain (Barcelona, Caceres, Santa Cruz, Valencia), Portugal (Lisbon),
ASIA: Israel (Tel Aviv),
AFRICA: South Africa (Grahamstow, Somerset East), Kenya (Nairobi).
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Performance. It appears to be well adapted to current Athens climate conditions. Particularly as specimens in parks.
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Grevillea robusta
Proteaceae
Distribution in Athens. At the southern boroughs Agios Dimitrios, Illiopolis, Glyfada, and Palaio Faliro. Also in the city of Athens, Dafni - Hymettos.
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Biomes Subtropical
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Countries and regions
Area of Origin. Australia, the region of SE. Queensland to NE. New South Wales.
Global Distribution (introduced)
​EUROPE: Canary Islands, Italy
ASIA: Assam, Bangladesh, India, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Islands, Pakistan, Vietnam.
AFRICA: Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Gulf of Guinea islands, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Réunion, St.Helena, Tanzania, Zambia.
AMERICAS: Argentina Northeast, Costa Rica, Cuba, Easter Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Marianas, Mexico Southwest, Trinidad-Tobago, USA (California, Florida, Hawaii), Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles.
OCEANIA: New Zealand North, Marshall Islands, Norfolk Island, Society Islands, Solomon Islands
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Cities worldwide
​Tree inventories around the world. In101 inventories around the world:
OCEANIA: Australia, New Zealand
AMERICAS: Argentina (Buenos Aires), Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru (Lima), Puerto Rico, USA (Berkeley, Honolulu, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Tampa)
EUROPE: France (Montpellier), Spain (Barcelona, Valencia), Portugal (Lisbon)
ASIA: Israel (Tel Aviv)
AFRICA: Morocco (Casablanca), Botswana, Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya (Nairobi).
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Performance. It appears to be well adapted to current Athens climate conditions. In tree lines near coastal avenues.
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Literature references ARDEM project - INRAE, Proteaceae Family Website.
Melaleuca citrina
syn. Callistemon citrinus
Myrtaceae
Distribution in Athens. Very common as an ornamental shrub. However only recently it has been planted as a central-leader small tree. In tree rows in the borough of Agios Dimitrios, on islands of a central avenue. Also in parks or as street trees in the boroughs: Kifissia, Petroupoli, city of Athens, Papagou-Cholargos.
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Biomes Subtropical
Countries and regions
Area of Origin. Eastern & SouthEastern Australia.
Global Distribution (introduced) Andaman Islands, Assam, Comoros, India, Kenya, Marianas, New Zealand North, Nicobar Islands, Tanzania, NorthWestern Balkan Peninsula, Mexico Gulf, USA (California, Louisiana), Trinidad-Tobago
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Cities worldwide
​Tree inventories around the world. In 62 inventories around the world:
OCEANIA: Australia
AMERICAS: Colombia, Peru (Lima), Puerto Rico, USA (Berkeley, Honolulu, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco).
EUROPE: Spain, United Kingdom (London).
ASIA: Pakistan, Turkey (Trabzon), Palestine (Gaza).
AFRICA: South Africa, Kenya (Nairobi).
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Performance. It appears to be performing well in the dry and hot summers in Athens.
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Literature references ARDEM project - INRAE, Proteaceae Family Website. ​
Metrosideros excelsa
Myrtaceae
Image source: Rico van Manen 2024. Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal. 07-09-2024. 148 year old Metrosideros excelsa on the Campo de São Francisco in Ponta Delgada [online] Shutterstock
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/ponta-delgada-azores-portugal-07092024-148-2532700117
NOTE: This image comes from an online image database. It will be replaced in the future with a picture of an occurrence of the species in urban environment in Greece.
Distribution in Athens. In coastal urban areas, it is regularly used as an ornamental shrub. However as is the case with other hardy ornamental shrubs, it can be trained as a single leader tree.
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Biomes Subtropical
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Countries and regions
Area of Origin. New Zealand North Island.
Global Distribution (introduced) Azores, Madeira, Norfolk Is., Tristan da Cunha
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Cities worldwide
​Tree inventories around the world. In 52 inventories around the world.
OCEANIA: Australia, New Zealand.
AMERICAS: Colombia, USA (Berkeley, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Oakland, Pasadena, San Diego, San Francisco).
EUROPE: Portugal (Lisbon)
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Performance. It appears to be performing well in the dry and hot summers in Athens.
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Literature references ARDEM project - INRAE, Proteaceae Family Website. ​
Myoporum laetum
Distribution in Athens. In coastal urban areas, it is regularly used as an ornamental shrub. However it can be developed as a single trunk small tree. In the borough Palaio Faliro.
Biomes Subtropical
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Countries and regions
Area of Origin. New Zealand.
Global Distribution (introduced) Australia (Tasmania, Victoria), Chatham Islands, Corse, East Aegean Islands, France, Italy, Portugal (Azores, Madeira ), Sicilia, Spain (Baleares, Canary Islands), Algeria,​ Morocco, Namibia, South Africa (Cape Provinces), Tunisia, Argentina Northeast, Mexico Northwest, USA (California), Uruguay.
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Cities worldwide
​Tree inventories around the world. In 10 inventories around the world:
OCEANIA: New Zealand,
AMERICAS: Argentina (Buenos Aires), Chile, Peru (Lima), USA (Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica).
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Performance. It appears to be performing well in the dry and hot summers in Athens.
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Ficus macrophylla
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Distribution in Athens. In coastal urban areas, species of Ficus are regularly for tree rows or parks. Occasionaly Ficus macrophylla is used. In the boroughs of Ilioupoli and Palaio Faliro.
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Biomes Seasonally dry tropical
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Countries and regions
Area of Origin. Eastern Australia, Lord Howe Island.
Global Distribution (introduced) India, Spain.
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Cities worldwide
​Tree inventories around the world. In 54 inventories around the world.
OCEANIA: Australia
AMERICAS: USA (Honolulu, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica).
EUROPE: Spain (Barcelona, Valencia), Portugal (Lisbon).
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Performance. It appears to be performing well in the dry and hot summers in Athens.
REFERENCES
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RESEARCH PROJECTS
ARDEM PROJECT, INRAE
Ducatillion Catherine and Delorme, Sarah. 2022. ARbres de Demain En Méditerranée (ARDEM) projet brochure. Villa de Thuret, INRAE. 2022.
https://jardin-thuret.hub.inrae.fr/content/download/6148/49641?version=1
INRAE. |Rédaction by Rose-marie Bugeaud. “Arbres de demain - Fiches espèces.” Jardin Botanique Villa Thuret. Created on December 23, 2022. Modified on March 25, 2024.
https://jardin-thuret.hub.inrae.fr/actualites/presentation-des-fiches-especes
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PAPERS
Maribel Carol-Aristizabal, Jérôme Dupras, Christian Messier, Rita Sousa-Silva. 2024. “Which Tree Species Best Withstand Urban Stressors? Ask the Experts”. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) Jan 2024, 50 (1) 57-75.
https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2023.026
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WEBSITES
Proteaceae Family. Grevillea robusta. 2024.
https://proteaceae.com.au/full-genus-list/grevillea-robusta/
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BOOKS
Sjöman, Henrik, and Anderson, Arit 2023. The Essential Tree Selection Guide: For Climate Resilience, Carbon Storage, Species Diversity and Other Ecosystem Benefits. London: Filbert Press
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