Gum Trees of the Bunbury Region

Gum Trees of the Bunbury Region
Gum trees (often from the genus Eucalyptus) are some of the largest trees in the Australian
bush and hence play a major role in defining the character of our landscape. This fact sheet
describes the four species of gum trees that naturally occur in the Bunbury region.
Jarrah, Eucalyptus marginata
Bark
Marri or Red gum, Corymbia calophylla
Fruit
Red gum oozing from trunk
Fruit, ‘honky nut’
Distinctive features: A tree to 30m in
height with grey-orange fissured bark that
can be easily pulled off revealing an orange-reddish colour. Produces cream
flowers from spring to early summer.
Distinctive features: A tree to 30m in
height with rough grey bark. Produces
white to pink flowers from summer to autumn. A reddish brown gum can often be
seen exuding from the trunk. Large fruit,
commonly referred to as “honkey nuts” can
be readily seen hanging from the tree.
Distribution: Jarrah is widely distributed in the south west of Western
Australia and generally occurs in areas with deep infertile soils. It is quite
common in Bunbury especially on or near hills. Some fine examples can
be seen in Manea Park in the suburb of College Grove, Bunbury.
Interesting information: Jarrah is world renowned for its strong, hard
and durable timber. Aboriginal people made spears from jarrah and in the
‘old days’ its timber was used to pave roads. The scientific name marginata refers to the orange-red margins of the leaves.
Distribution: Marri is abundant in the lower south west where it prefers to
grow on moderately fertile soils. It can often be seen growing in river valleys. Common in most areas of Bunbury.
Interesting information: The marri tree was useful to the Aboriginal people. They soaked the blossom in water to make a sweet drink and ate the
seeds and gum as a cure for diarrhoea. Many botanists choose to call
marri its ‘other’ scientific name Eucalyptus calophylla as a debate still
exists over a reclassification of some of the trees in the Eucalyptus genus.
Moitch or Flooded gum, Eucalyptus rudis
Tuart, Eucalyptus gomphocephala
Leaves eaten by insects
Fruit
Distinctive features: A tree to 25m in
height growing near water courses. Produces cream flowers from winter to early
summer. Upper branches are often absent
of bark and are creamy white in colour.
Bluish green leaves are often eaten by
insects.
Distribution: Widely distributed in the south west of Western Australia
where it is typical of damp areas, wetlands and rivers. It can be seen
growing along the banks of the Collie, Preston and Ferguson Rivers and
around Big Swamp.
Interesting information: Moitch is an important tree in the wetland ecosystem. Its branches provide nesting and roosting sites for birds and its
roots stabilise soil along water courses. The prolific flowers and invertebrates that inhabit the tree are an abundant source of nutrition for the
many birds and other fauna that make water courses their home.
Flower buds
Fruit
Distinctive features: A large tree to
greater than 30m in height and over 2 m
wide that grows close to the coast. Produces white flowers from late summer to
autumn. Flower buds with large hemispherical caps can often be seen amongst
the leaf litter beneath the tree.
Distribution: Tuarts grow in relatively shallow soils occurring in a narrow
coastal strip 5 -10 km wide from Jurien Bay to Busselton. They can be
easily seen in the Maidens Reserve.
Interesting information: The tuart is the largest tree, both in height and
girth, on the Swan Coastal Plain. Unfortunately many tuarts, especially
those growing in the Yalgorup National Park, are showing signs of severe
stress and are dying. Recent research has however shown that the health
of the trees can be improved after the application of phosphite (a fungicide) and nutrients.