National Eucalypt Day 2019

Today is National Eucalypt Day. Eucalyptus trees are iconically Australian. There are over 900 species of eucalyptus in the world, and most are native to Australia.

On this day, we have much to thank the eucalypt for. Eucalyptus trees provide a habitat for many creatures, their flowers support pollenating bees and produce beautiful nectar and thus honey, the leaves produce an amazing oil which has such a varied range of uses. Eucalypt trees are in fact masters at moving large amounts of water up through the roots and transpiring it out through their leaves.

Did you know?

• Koalas, Yellow-bellied Gliders and Ringtail Possums are the only mammals that can survive on a diet of gum leaves. To most other animals, the leaves are poisonous.
• Today, the tallest eucalyptus tree measures 99.6m tall. That's right!
• The wood of a eucalyptus tree is commonly used to make didgeridoos.

There are a large number of eucalyptus species under threat. Mukinbudin Mallee, Badgingarra Box, Camden Woollybutt, Lima Stringybark. These are four examples of native eucalypt species that are listed as threatened species on the EPBC List. The current List records 59 species of eucalyptus that are vulnerable or endangered, and two that are now critically endangered.

You would not imagine that a species as abundant as our native eucalyptus would be a threatened floral species.

Visit the Eucalypt Australia webpage to find out more about the many walks, events and activities planned in communities across Australia for National Eucalpyt Day.

On a side note, did you correctly name 'eucalypt' as a 'category of Australian forests' in the pop quiz of this week's email for the International Day of Forests?!