Plants of Tasmania

Blue Gum - Eucalyptus globulus

The majestic blue gum, common in the south and east of the State, is probably our most distinctive and widely known eucalypt. The Tasmanian blue gum was one of the first eucalypts to be discovered by early European explorers in the late 18th century. It is now widely planted overseas for ornament, shelter and wood protection. Its blossom is Tasmania's floral emblem.
In its natural habitat, the blue gum will often grow up to 70m tall with a long straight trunk. Its bark is smooth and peels off in long strips leaving the trunk with a grey and cream dappled appearance. The leaves of saplings are soft, roughly oval shaped and up to 15cm long with no stalk. The leaves of older trees are dark green, tough, sickle-shaped and roughly 25cm long. When flower buds open in spring they shed a round cap. The white flowers then develop into ribbed gum nuts above 25mm across.
Tasmanian blue gum grows mostly in East Coast areas. It is also found on some of the Bass Strait islands and in southern Victoria.
Given good conditions, blue gums can grow more than one metre in height and the trunk 12mm in diameter each year. Intensive cultivation may more than double these rates. It can easily be raised from seed. Due to their rapid growth these gums are popular overseas.
Blue gum timber quickly established a reputation with early settlers for its toughness and durability. Its timber is stronger and denser than other similar types of gum tree is suitable for ship building and similar uses.

White Gum - Eucalyptus viminalis

White gum is a tree with many forms. It can grow to over 90 metres tall in the Evercreech forests near Fingal in the Northeast, but it is usually found growing among black peppermint in drier eucalypt forests. White gum is a major species in the open woodlands of Tasmania.
White gums generally have a wavering trunk, often breaking into branches at low levels. Its usual height is around 40 metres, with a diameter of about 1.5 metres at the butt. Its bark is almost wholly smooth with a white or yellowish colour. At the upper levels of the trunk, long ribbons of bark frequently remain hanging from branches. Leaves are about 16cm long and 1.5cm wide. They have a pronounced stalk.
The species occur in a wide variety of forest and woodland types, but is generally absent from mountainous areas and the wetter parts of the west and south coasts. It grows from sea level to about 600m.
The timber is brittle and does not tolerate exposure, but it is a useful hardwood for internal fittings. It polishes well and in panels resembles English ash. You can see white gum in the north at the Evercreech and Hollybank Forest Reserves.

Myrtle - Nothofagus cunninghamii

Myrtle is the predominant species in Tasmania's cool temperate rainforests. It has a regeneration cycle, which can lead to a forest containing trees ranging from one to 500 years old. Its timber is prized for furniture, wood turning and panelling, varying in colour from pink to red. It is highly susceptible to insect and fungal attack, which damages the timber and often kills the tree.
Myrtle belongs to the same family as the beeches of Europe. The tree reaches a height of 30 to 40 metres with a diameter of 1.5 to two metres. It has a dark green, fine textured crown. Its brown coloured bark is scaly and slightly fibrous and remains attached to the tree for life. When young, the leaves are glossy green, changing to the very dark green as they grow older.
Myrtle growth is closely related to rainfall and humidity and providing conditions are moist and sheltered, the trees flourish from sea level on parts of the west and north west coast to the tree line on mountains.
The reddish wood is very strong and when for flooring and decking wears well and keeps its smooth surface. Its value or furniture and decorative work is well known. It works well and takes a fine polish. Myrtle is also used for joinery, veneers and carving. You can see myrtle at Tahune Forest Reserve (south) and in the north at Weldborough Pass and the Julius River rainforest walk.

Celery Top Pine - Phyllocladus aspleniifolius

Celery-top pine is one of the best known of Tasmania's native conifers. It is common in the west of the State and also occurs in isolated patches on the drier East Coast. It can easily be identified by its distinctive celery-like foliage. The timber is valued for its durability hard wearing surface, stability and attractive fine-grained appearance.
The tree does not resemble a pine and is, in fact, related to yew trees. It reaches a height of between 15 and 40 metres with a breast height diameter of between 40 and 85cm. Its bark is dark grey to reddish brown with numerous pores, which give it a knobbly appearance. The thick, leathery leaves are between 3 and 8cm long and about two centimetres wide. The pollen and seed are borne in modified cones, both male and female cones being very small.
Celery-top pine is a dominant tree on poorer soils in Tasmania's cool temperate rainforests. It grows very slowly: trees with a diameter of 60cm are usually around 400 years old. The oldest known trees are about 800 years old.
The timber is a pale straw colour when freshly cut and darkens to a gold colour following seasoning. It is a hard, strong dense wood. The timber has good stability in a cross-section but can shrink along its length when drying. Traditional uses included boat building, joinery, bench tops and flooring. It is also used for outdoor and indoor furniture, kitchen cupboards and panelling. Celery-top is suitable for turning especially for spindle work – for example, chair legs. In the north you can see this pine at the Celery-top Nature Trail and the Mount Field National Park in the south.

King Billy Pine - Athrotaxis selaginoides

Although related to the famous redwoods of California, the King Billy pine is only a medium sized tree, usually between 25 and 30 metres high with a diameter of 60 to 90 centimetres. It is one of the endemic Tasmanian softwoods along with Huon, celery-top and pencil pines. It does not bear branches for about three-quarters of its height and the bunchy tops give the tree its characteristic appearance. The bark is slightly furrowed and fibrous. The small, pointed leaves are thick and more or less overlap. They grow stiffly in rows and are quite prickly. The male and female cones are borne on the same tree and are about 20mm in diameter, have loose scales and stand erect at the tips of branches.
King Billy pines are found in the more mountainous wetter areas of Tasmania. They are slow growing and can live for five hundred years or more if not burnt by bushfires, to which it is highly susceptible. The maximum growth rates are in the vicinity of 200mm per year.
The sapwood is yellow, but the heartwood is pink to reddish brown with distinct growth rings. It is a very soft, fine textured timber with a straight grain. It has good bending properties, works easily and seasons well with little shrinkage. The oils present in the timber preserve it very well. Present use is restricted by availability. In the north you can see the tree at Winterbrook Rainforest Walk and in the south at the Hartz Mountains and the Mount Field National Park.