Silky Oak Tree / Grevillea robusta

                                                                 Silky Oak Tree

                                                              Grevillea robusta

                                                                         Seed pod

It is reasonably drought tolerant. The roots produce a chemical substance that inhibits and kills off seedlings growing nearby including its own which is why it does not form dense stands. It is highly intolerant of shade and frost. Silky oak is highly vulnerable to fire and is therefore absent from  nonboring Eucalyptus forest and grasslands. 

First introduced into India as a shade tree in tree plantation and still used mainly for windbreaks., alley cropping, and as an ornamental tree. Birds, bats and insects visits its nectar laden flowers. This tree became the like cliche's  of the cultivated landscape. No problem identifying these trees.

Silky Oak Tree : Silky/Silk/Silver oak/Golden pine - A slim symmetrical tree reaching30m in its native Australian forest but considerably less in Delhi.

Not really an oak at all. Recognized by its deep green fern like foliage with silvery undersides, and bright orange brush like blossoms in late March. Very popular as a fast growing ornamental and fairly common now in parks and garden.

Grevillea robusta Cunn. Ex R. Br.
Common name: Silver oak
Family: Proteaceace
Description: A fast-growing evergreen tree. Leaves are dark green dented bipinnatified long with grayish white or rusty undersides. Flowers are golden-orange in one-sided racemes. Fruit is a boat-shaped, dark brown leathery dehiscent follicle.
Flowering and Fruits: Mar. -May
Native: Australia

Seasons 

Leaves : seldom completely shed, renewed in March -April. Leaves feather compound15-35 cm long with each leaflet deeply dissected like a fern leaf. Deep green and almost smooth above, greyish white or silvery and lightly downy beneath. Young shoots are densely hairy. Deeply dissected leaves make the leaves look twice feathered. There are only one pinnate.

Flower : towards end March, lasting for about a month. Flowers between 60-80 of the cadmium yellow flowers are clustered together (in pairs) on a 'spike'  , the whole assembly looking like a wire brush. The most conspicuous feature of each flower is  the stigma mounted on a long stalk which at first is bent over like a hair pin, then straightens out to 'present' itself to recieve pollen. There are no petals.

Fruit : ripen in June -July. Fruit like little tad poles, eventually  spitting open to  release 1-2 seeds The tiny seeds float out in the wind with the help of thin wings and travel surprising distance.

https://natureloversindia123.blogspot.com/2022/07/silky-oak-tree.html