The Red Ash (or Alphitonia excelsa) trees are fruiting at the moment, producing hundreds if not thousands of black fruit that eventually disintegrate to show pairs of shiny orange-red seeds.

Red Ash is a rainforest species, and one of the toughest that grow naturally around here, coping with full sun and dry spells. Previous generations noticed this, and it seems to have been planted fairly widely as a verge tree in years gone by. Well-grown examples dot the streets of Mount Pleasant and Mount Ousley in particular, where they provide welcome cool and shade. 

It's such a handsome tree, with its rounded crown, and the soft green leaves with their felty whitish lower surface. 

If you come across a tree in town, or on a rainforest walk, look underneath and see if there are any of the globular black fruit on the ground beneath. Look up, and watch for the white under-surface of the leaves. See if you can spot lace-like nibbled leaves that have provided a meal for insects, which go nuts for this species. Check the trunk, particularly on the shady side, for patches of green, grey or white lichen. Keep an eye out for birds, which enjoy eating all the insects, and in some cases also enjoy the fruit (Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are just one example). These are all signs you're in the presence of a Red Ash.    

One interesting feature of this tree is that its leaves contain saponins, or soap compounds, which can be crushed and used like soap. An alternative common name for it is the Soap Tree. 

Emma Rooksby is the coordinator of the Growing Illawarra Natives website