Alstonia Scholaris

This tall elegant tree bears large clusters of small, green, very fragrant flowers in October. The slightly rounded, leathery, dark green leaves form attractive whorls, and the regular branching gives the tree a beautiful shape. An evergreen tropical tree native to the Indian sub-continent, Malaysia and Australasia, its bark, known as Dita Bark, is used in traditional medicine to treat various conditions. The generic name commemorates the botanist, Prof. C. Alston of Edinburgh, 1685-1760 whilst the species name scholaris refers to the fact that the timber of this tree has traditionally been used to make wooden slates for school children.