Springbrook leatherwood

What does it look like?

The Springbrook leatherwood is a rare rainforest tree that can grow up to 25 metres in height. It is often multi-stemmed with lichen covered, semi-smooth pale brown bark. The base of adult trees are typically surrounded by a ring of root suckers (coppice shoots).

Young leaves have 5 to 7 leaflets. Adult leaves have 5 leaflets, which reduce to 3 and then to one during flowering and fruiting. This change of leaf form during flowering and fruiting is a unique characteristic.

The flowers are white to cream, sweetly scented with 4 large petals and occur from February to March. Fruits are small brown woody capsules with multiple segments and small narrowly winged seeds.

Where does it live?

The Springbrook leatherwood is only found at 2 isolated sites – on the Springbrook Plateau in the Gold Coast hinterland and northern New South Wales.

Ecology & habitat

One population occurs in a wet gully along a permanent watercourse in warm temperate rainforest, where it forms part of the tall canopy. The other population grows along an exposed, windy, cloud-swept cliff edge where it grows as thickets of multi-stemmed small trees. The species requires permanent water either via a stream, groundwater seepage and/or cloud rain (orographic precipitation).

How is its survival threatened?

• Extremely restricted distribution and specialised habitat requirements
• Highly susceptible to impacts of climate change, including altered rainfall patterns and loss of cloud rain, increased temperatures and bushfire incursion
• Individuals and habitat can be harmed or destroyed by fire

How can we help?

• Conduct targeted surveys to determine the locations and status of important populations on both public and private land
• Improve protections for groundwater aquifers that support existing populations on the Springbrook Plateau
• Support ongoing cross-border management of existing populations on public land
• Ensure no accidental or inappropriate burns occur in known habitat areas
• Protect and enhance the species' habitat and populations on private properties
• Investigate potential to propagate and establish new populations

Image credit: Glenn Leiper