#eucalypts — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #eucalypts, aggregated by home.social.
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Koalas depend on bats
"Without the bats, the koalas wouldn't have the trees. So the bats are the ones that are fertilising those big eucalypts that koalas love."
"A lot of people overseas when they think of Australia, they think of koalas." In Australia "there's ...a lack of awareness about the role of bats in controlling insect populations, pollinating plants and spreading seeds, much like birds and bees do."
"Perceptions have consequences: The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) says more than half of the state's species are in decline, or their status is unknown, due to a lack of research."
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-28/australia-bats-poor-reputation-covid-links-and-vampire-myths/103669082
#koalas #bats #FlyingFoxes #eucalypts #mining #misconception #superstition #EcologicalLiteracy -
Want to grow #eucalyptus in your yard but they are too darn big?
Try #pollard, an ancient practice of cutting the "poll" at a pre-determined height and using or cycling the material for mulch. Every cut is always made on new wood so it's a sound #arboriculture practice, it can maintain #trees to specific heights that are reset on a cycle plus they don't get out of control. Bonus is, they also live longer based on a pollard history of thousands of years.
Pictured here are Eucalyptus cloeziana, Gympie Messmate, pollards with #vetiver grass underneath as a mulching plant. The Vetiver existed first, the #eucalypts were planted in after the Vetiver Grass suppressed the pasture grass.
These poles will be grown and harvested as 2.1m posts eventually while some Kei Apples and Citrus establish underneath.
As soon as these reached a medium size, insects like sawfly and stick insects moved in which were never present before as the area is too small to grow full size Gum trees.
If you are interested in a history of #coppice and/or pollard, there are some books available, one example: https://www.williambryantlogan.com/sprout-lands
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#Gumtrees are my favourite large growing mass within the flora world.
They’re known as #eucalypts and csiro.com.au reports that there are 934 species of #eucalypt trees native to #Australia.
Gums typically grow to a height of 45 m (148 ft) but may sometimes only be a stunted shrub. Alternatively under ideal conditions, they can grow as tall as 90–100 m (300–330 ft).
IMO, they’re an emphatic statement of strength and resilience.
Gums can withstand prolonged drought conditions and still stand tall and present happy and healthy. Their trunks and branches are normally covered in a thin layer of white bark that sheds annually around this time of year (summer time).
Their leaves vary in size and shape, depending on the species.
My favourite are the shape as seen in these photos taken a couple of days ago near #Melbournes #Botanicgardens. They’re long (elongated), 10+cm (4+ inch) long and 1.5-2.0cm (3/4 inch) in width at their widest point.
Their leaves often possess a slight curved appearance, are usually deep dark green and clumped together, facing downward toward the ground, hanging from their branches.
This specific tree caught my eye. Its trunk is mottled with varying shades of whites, browns and greys. It is also pitted and indented along its entire length.
It really is a beauty
#urbanflora #flora #gardening #garden #melbourne #butterfly #aesthetichedonist #januaryjoy #gardeningAU #gardening #narrm #victoria #Australia #godmustbeabotanist #makesmehappy