Spotted Gums

The Spotted Gum, Corymbia maculata, is a popular amenity or street tree. The garden staff of the former Buln Buln Shire planted many of these stately trees in the streets and parks of Drouin and today we reap the benefits of their efforts and forethought.

 

An 'avenue' of Spotted Gums in Princes Way west

Indigenous to Australia, Spotted Gums grow naturally in open forests along the coastal strip from southern Queensland, down through NSW and just into Victoria.

The tree has an intermittent flowering period of several years. When they do burst into flower, the Spotted Gum becomes very popular with lorikeets and other honeyeaters, insects, bats, gliders and possums. Also, when they do flower, the casual observer may miss the event as they flower predominately in the crown.

The large fruit of Corymbia maculata

 Mature natural trees are sometimes used for sawn timber – furniture, flooring, and some construction so long as it above ground away from possible termite attack.

Not only a popular street or parkland tree, Spotted Gums are a favoured tree of bee keepers – the high pollen count is an advantage and generally, queens fed on Spotted Gum are vigorous and long-lived.

 

The striking trunk markings develop as thin outer bark flakes away.

Spotted Gums were formerly classified in the eucalyptus genus. In 1999, along with about 80 other species, they were transferred to the newly created corymbia family.