Eucalyptus – friend or foe?

October 19, 2022

It just so happens that this is the predominant tree in the Blazey Arboretum (with over 1,000 trees), including some truly gigantic specimens about 400 years old. Unfortunately it is also one of the most dangerous native trees for those of us who have very old specimens because it can unexpectedly drop huge boughs if you are camped (or parked) nearby.

Australia’s favourite trees

The ABC poll rated the following:

  1. River red gum – Eucalyptus camaldulensis
  2. Snow gum – Eucalyptus pauciflora
  3. Ghost gum – Corymbia aparrerinja
  4. Moreton Bay fig – Ficus macrophylla
  5. Mountain ash – Eucalyptus regnans
  6. Boab – Adansonia gregorii
  7. Karri – Eucalyptus diversicolor
  8. Red flowering gum – Corymbia ficifolia
  9. Illawarra flame tree – Brachychiton acerifolius
  10. Golden wattle – Acacia pycnantha

Within its list of ten trees were six eucalypts, which is quite extraordinary when you consider that no other country has just one genus of plants so dominating it can account for 80% of the trees in their forests. (Eugeniaand Syzygium families have greater numbers in their genus but are not confined to largely one country, as eucalypts are to Australia.)

Of course, being popular in a landscape is no criteria for planting in our gardens. Two eucalypts on the list can grow over 50 metres tall and every eucalypt is highly flammable, so should never be planted closer than 200 metres from any homestead. (Source: 2009 Bushland Royal Commission, i.e. 85% of buildings destroyed were within 100m of bushland; a further 10% were 100–200m away.)

Gardening always disturbs the natural landscape

For most of us, what we plant in the garden is totally separate from the natural bush. When Europeans invaded this country they brought vegetables, grains, meat and fruit with them, and after 200+ years of adaptation there is still just one item, the macadamia, that is native and that is part of a mainstream diet. So, 99% of the food we eat is not from native sources.

Because we haven’t adopted the diet of native aboriginals, Australian gardening is a borrowed activity we brought with us to maintain our familiar trees, fruits, flowers and vegetables.