A Gum Tree at Watson, ACT
Identification history
| Eucalyptus (genus) | 16 May 2026 | abread111 | ||
| Eucalyptus aggregata | 16 May 2026 | abread111 | ||
| Eucalyptus (genus) | 15 May 2026 | waltraud |
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User's notes
A group of unknown young eucalyptus. In the past years, Callitris endlicherii, Kunzea ericoides and several unknown Eucalyptuys have been planted by unknown person in this 10Ha Fair rehab site. Im not sure whether the plants recorded here have been planted by unknown or are recruits of mature E. aggregata from nearby; they are none of the local euc species that I know.
10 comments
waltraud
wrote:
16 May 2026
https://canberra.naturemapr.org/users/22862, the leaves to me look different to those of the eucs id-ed at the gully; all leaves including those of the smaller saplings are of ovate shape and none opposite - in the young E. aggregata of approx 1.5m height close to the gully there were still opposite leaves present.
abread111
wrote:
16 May 2026
https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/entities/eucalyptus_aggregata.htm
says " juvenile leaves opposite at first but soon alternate, petiolate, ovate to elliptical or lanceolate, 4–7 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide, margin entire or crenulate, green. Juvenile leaf shape may vary considerably...."
So we wait for flowers..
says " juvenile leaves opposite at first but soon alternate, petiolate, ovate to elliptical or lanceolate, 4–7 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide, margin entire or crenulate, green. Juvenile leaf shape may vary considerably...."
So we wait for flowers..
waltraud
wrote:
17 May 2026
Not sure how long it will take for flowering; it took the local eucs that we planted about 8 years to the first flowers. Will someone be around to remember and check? I wonder to take samples of each of the 5 saplings as well as samples of the E. aggregata growing at the gully.
abread111
wrote:
17 May 2026
Ten years ago this issue was discussed in Eucalyptus aggregata (Black Gum) and there were flower buds at this time of year in the trees along the gully line.
So now is a good time to revisit, and I have to visit Helen Kennedy at the herbarium soon (to take in a pressed weed sample) so I could take any samples.
So now is a good time to revisit, and I have to visit Helen Kennedy at the herbarium soon (to take in a pressed weed sample) so I could take any samples.
waltraud
wrote:
17 May 2026
sounds good abread111
All I say is that to me the leaves look different to those of the trees growing at the gully which were id-ed as E aggregata; also, I'm aware of tree and shrub plantings at the Fair that was not carried out by FoMM, and that were subsequently removed by Parks because they were not locals.
All I say is that to me the leaves look different to those of the trees growing at the gully which were id-ed as E aggregata; also, I'm aware of tree and shrub plantings at the Fair that was not carried out by FoMM, and that were subsequently removed by Parks because they were not locals.
MLH
wrote:
22 May 2026
I have my doubts that the wild recruits of what was though to be E. aggregata, actually are. A significant indicator is that by the 12th leaf node, (less than 30 cm tall) pure aggregata, as opposed to hybrids, shift to alternate leaf morphology. If these saplings are still opposite leaved then they are not aggregata. Possibly a hybrid but seems more likely another species as this area is not really wet enough for E. aggregata. Note that another sighting Eucalyptus aggregata (Black Gum) has from the seedling leaf been ruled out as E. aggregata and it too is gowing in a habitat too dry for E. aggregata. The seedlings at the fair may be another example of E. macarthurii masquerading as E. aggregata.
waltraud
wrote:
22 May 2026
MLH many thanks for interesting comments. In reg to habitat the saplings grow at the bottom of a large drainage line that starts high on Mt Majura, runs first in north-south direction and then bends east-west; there are indicator plants such as rushes and sedges and other species that benefit from moist conditions. We lost planted shrubs during the 2021-23 LaNina events presumably because it was too wet.
MLH
wrote:
22 May 2026
It is an easy mistake to confuse planted E. macarthurii and E. aggregata. Both grow on river flats and have grey fibrous to flaky bark. Camden woollybutt (E. macarthurii) grows in open forest on flats and near watercourses on the Central and Southern Tablelands between the Blue Mountains and Goulburn and has clustered conical fruits similar size to E. aggregata. E. aggregata appears quite susceptible to drought as the dieback/deaths of several of the large trees at Kowen in 2019 would attest. Both species are threatened and listed under EPBC Act
Location information
- Coordinates 149.170425-35.224881
- Altitude 624.2m
- Maps Mount Majura The Fair, Watson
- Places Watson, ACT
Sighting information
- 6 Abundance
- 14 May 2026 12:43 PM Recorded on
- waltraud Recorded by
-
Collections
waltraud NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Eucalyptus (genus) Gum Trees Plants
Species information
- Eucalyptus (genus) Scientific name
- A Gum Tree Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- -13.81m to 1470m Recorded at altitude
-
In flower
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes