Gum Trees (Eucalypt spp.) are the iconic Australian tree. Hum trees occur in almost all Australian ecosystems from deserts, to the edge of Rainforests, from beach sides to mountain tops, from the tropics to the Australian Alps. Gum Trees literally frame the Australian character.
There are a few Gums that are small such as the Plunkett Mallee (Eucalyptus curtisii), but the vast majority of Gum’s are big, some very big. The Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) – tallest flower plant in the world, from Victoria & Tasmania is recorded historically at over 120 metres. Closer to home we have Flooded Gums (Eucalyptus grandis) & Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) which can grow to over 60m.
Where am I going with this I here you ask, well Gum trees as discussed are often big. They are Big trees for a “Big Country”. However most of us don’t live in the “Big Country”, most of us live in small backyards and although Gum trees are a national institution, they might just be too big, for your average backyard.
Too often Gum trees are planted as a fast growing, windbreak or privacy barrier, close to houses and fences. Within a few years the privacy barrier is quickly gone, as the trees race upwards leaving a bare trunk. Also within a decade or so, there starts a rain of branches, with the associated hazard of heavy sharp bits of timber plummeting earthward in your backyard! Then there’s the gum leaves clogging gutters if planted within 20-40 metres of yours (or your neighbour’s house). On the Blackall Range two non-local gum trees have also been extensively planted and they are Gympie Messmate (Eucalyptus cloeziana) & White Gum (Eucalyptus dunnii), they grow ridiculously quickly and ridiculously big, due to the higher than average rainfall of the range.
So where am I going with this I hear you say? Am I challenging the iconic status of the great Aussie Gum trees – Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi! No, far from it, just trying to save you a lot of money when it comes to tree management, through not planting gum trees in small backyards and too near infrastructure.However, all the attributes that make gum trees bad for the backyard are their greatest assets in the bush and for growing timber. They are fast growing, hardy trees and great habitat for wildlife. They can live for hundreds of years and the hollows that form in the trunk and branches are the ultimate in high rise accommodation for so many of our unique Australian wildlife. They produce some of the finest durable timbers in the world. Just don’t plant them next your hills hoist!
