Archive for January, 2007

Every Christmas I have used the flowers from Eucalyptus stricklandii as part of the table decorations. Except last Christmas because the tree was not in flower then. The Purple-Crowned Lorikeets and Red Wattlebirds have found the flowers and the trees are alive with birds. I could not get a photo to include the birds as the flowers were out of reach and the birds seem to disappear amongst the foliage.

This is another of those lovely Western Australian trees that are very decorative in flower.

More articles about Australian birds can be found on Trevor’s Birding.

I took the camera out this morning to take photos of the different colour forms of Eucalyptus ficifolia (Western Australian Flowering Gum). The hot north winds that we have had lately have finished the flowers on some trees. There is a lovely deep red form I could not get close to so I will have to knock on the door and ask if I can invade their backyard.

More about Eucalyptus ficifolia here.

The bees have found the flowers on our Eucalyptus cladocalyx ‘Nana’, (Bushy Sugar Gum). The smell of honey is in the air on these hot dry days that we are having and there is a constant hum from the canopy of this tree in particular.

This is a smaller version of Sugar Gum and is very hardy. This particular form comes from Kangaroo Island and Eyre Peninsular in South Australia. It is drought tolerant being grown in Israel without irrigation. We have found it to be quite drought and frost hardy here but severe frost may cause damage while the plant is young. This is an excellent plant for a wind break with other tall shrubs because of its more compact growth and bushy habit. It appears that it is difficult to establish other plants under this species because of its competitive root system. This tree is about 5m tall here and can grow to 15m tall. The trunk is beautiful when wet.