White tree at Batton Hill camp.

[Slunnie]

I know this is a long shot...

At Batton Hill camp at the top of the Hay River track there is a camp ground on the other side of the fence to Lindsay Bookies normal campground. It was put in just over 1 year ago to what I think is the North side of the camp.

The campground surrounds this fantastic white barked tree, actually we all camped under it while we were there. Sadly I didn't take a pic of the tree, probably the only thing I missed while there!

Does anybody know by any chance what type of tree this is?

TIA

[Slunnie]

NM! You're a champion! :D Thats the one, thank you for this.

I guess you dont know what type of gum? :lol2:

I don't think it will be suitable climatically for where I live, but I thought that I would sus it out anyway.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n74/numpty_01/Hay%20River/0319HR2006BattonHIll.jpg

[Tank]

I think thet're called Ghost Gums, Regards Frank.

[Bushie]

It's actually a Eucalyptus Idunosium.


Martyn

[Slunnie]

Thank you for all of this info.

Its such a spectacular tree, I was thinking to plant one in the middle of my paddock - for shade, but also for its brilliant white highlight trunk and foliage pattern. I'll check it out to see if it is compatible here, which is just outside of Orange as it regularly goes below zero and severe frosting is the normal with the occasional snow.

Another option if it isn't suited to the area (its not listed in my "Australian Native Plants to grow in and around Orange" book) may possibly be the Snow gum which seems to also have a similar striking white trunk - though I haven't seen one for a long time - the ghost gum I really like though.

[crump]

A lot of the trees formerly of the genus Eucalyptus now belong to the genus Corymbia so keep that in mind in your search, the one in the pic looks like C.aparrerinja , the Central Australian Ghost gum.

[Slunnie]

Well, now that my google is burnt out.


Looks like I can get Ghost Gum (Eucalyptus Papuana or Coryembia Aparraringa - 10-18m) seeds through the mail, so I might have a crack at growing a couple of these from seed and just see how things go. It would be grand if I can make it work here for a feature tree in the paddock.

http://blog.ratestogo.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/ghost-gum.jpg

Likewise, I might also try to get a mallee'd up Dwarf/Wolgan Snow gum (Eucalyptus Gregsoniana - 3m) for the back. Very cool.

http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/43962/Copy-of-SEP-Euc.-gregson.jpg

[crump]

while where on arid zone plants I put these seeds in 4 months ago.;)(I'm very proud.)

[Xavie]

Slunnie, I suggest if you can get your hands on a couple just give it a try even if it doesn't seem like it will grow. I say this because living in the mountains I'm often told things won't live but when you try them you get a 50/50 split and somehow they do survive and go well a reasonable amount of the time.

I think that tree looks great too.

Xav

[Slunnie]

Crump, nice job on the Desert pea!

Xav, thanks for that. Thats not bad at all. I thought that I'd buy a pack of seeds and see how it all goes. If it doesn't work then nothing lost, but if it does work.... then excellent!

[Chenz]

Can I sugest that you propogate the seeds in a straight sand mix. When planting out in the paddock I would also sugest that you pick a spot with good drainage and mix the soil with plenty of sand as well. If there is one thing desert plants hate is wet feet.

[Slunnie]

Can I sugest that you propogate the seeds in a straight sand mix. When planting out in the paddock I would also sugest that you pick a spot with good drainage and mix the soil with plenty of sand as well. If there is one thing desert plants hate is wet feet.
I know this may sound like a silly question.... but there are all different types of sand. Is any ok or is there something more potting specific that I should use?

(BTW, it'd be cool to try out some desert peas also!)

[Slunnie]

Slunnie, I suggest if you can get your hands on a couple just give it a try even if it doesn't seem like it will grow. I say this because living in the mountains I'm often told things won't live but when you try them you get a 50/50 split and somehow they do survive and go well a reasonable amount of the time.

I think that tree looks great too.

Xav
Well, I gave it a go. Got the seeds and kicked them off.

I ended up seeding 10 Ghost Gums and 23 Waratahs. The first Ghost gum emerged from the dirt today, hopefully the first of many. :cool:

[2 rocks]

Hmmm
That reminds me...I'm sure I've got some SDP seeds in the shed somewhere.

Good work with your Ghost's Slunnie! I had a Eucalyptus Lehmanni (Bushy Yate) at my last place and wanted to propagate it - they have those bizarre flower caps that look like fingers... well, some do.
Keep us posted!
Mike

[Bigmark]

Yes in WA they are ghost gums or Salmon gums if they have a slight pink tinge to them. From my experience they are dangerous to camp under, they are always dropping limbs and cockatoos love to strip them.

[RobHay]

If you want to continue enjoying the beauty of this particular tree....May I make a suggestion..........Don't camp under it......It may send sections of itself down to join you:(

[Slunnie]

I would have thought that now would be a really good time to get the seeds happening. Everything is exploding out here at the moment. SDP would be great to germinate. I've kept the Ghost gums and waratahs in the garage in the sun and to keep the frost off them so well see how they go. 1 up, 32 to go.

[Slunnie]

Thanks Mark and Rob, will keep that in mind. It'll be on a slope and away from the house a bit anyway. They sound a bit fidgety like the Red River Gums that I used to live near down in the Riverina, which seemed to have a habit of throwing limbs.

[Bundalene]

When you come around on Monday remind me to show you our Red Flowering Gum. It's not in flower yet, but is full of buds & will be looking great very soon.

It's only small but was spectacular last year and there are large gum nuts on it now, left over from last season.

Not sure what it's called but if I can grow one ....anyone can!



Mrs Bundalene

[lokka]

Yep camping under any large tree is a bad move ive seen first hand what happens ...
If ya need shade set up a tarp much safer ;);)

[Slunnie]

When you come around on Monday remind me to show you our Red Flowering Gum. It's not in flower yet, but is full of buds & will be looking great very soon.

It's only small but was spectacular last year and there are large gum nuts on it now, left over from last season.

Not sure what it's called but if I can grow one ....anyone can!



Mrs Bundalene
I'll have to check it out then, it sounds good. I've got a mini euacalypt of some descript in my yard now, and they're great. I'd love to see your one all budded up though.

[gruntfuttock]

Just a bit of triva on the ghost gums. The old timers used to call them "Widow makers" and would refuse to camp anzwhere near them. Thez have a verz verz hard wood and the change in tempreture etc can have them extemding an arm down to shake hands and greet you, which is not nice.

[gruntfuttock]

Sorry about the typo, got an English keyboard and the Y and Z are mixed up :~

[mcrover]

Cranbourne Golf Club : Welcome (http://www.cranbournegolf.com.au/index.html)

Check out what our course logo is.....:p

If you like the Ghost gums, we have some excelent ones on the course.

I wouldnt recomend the Lemon sented unless you love leaves everywhere and having branches falling on you when you least expect it, were taking out several this year hopefully.

The spotted gums are really nice as well but are prone to rotting.

There used to be a magnificent one on top of corn hill in Merrijig and at night when you came in from Mansfield youd have Mt Buller covered in snow behind it glowing and the trunk of the tree glowing, It looked great and my mums got several great photo's of it, 1 with lightening around it but they are on film not digi so I dont have any I can post.

We had 1 at the gate of the farm as well which had to be removed when they put a road through but it was also great when the head lights hit it as it just glowed.

One of my favourite tree's as well.

[2 rocks]

If you want to continue enjoying the beauty of this particular tree....May I make a suggestion..........Don't camp under it......It may send sections of itself down to join you:(

Yep like the Bloodwoods along (usually dry) riverbeds. Hint of a drought and they shed limbs to conserve the main part of the tree. Still, you can see the stars better from the swag when you're out from under them :)
Mike

[gruntfuttock]

Most gum trees (not all) shed limbs. We used to have box, redgum do that as well on the farm. And the odd one would just fall over on a windless night

[mcrover]

Most gum trees (not all) shed limbs. We used to have box, redgum do that as well on the farm. And the odd one would just fall over on a windless night

Yeah the arborist that we use at work says that it is when the wind blows it can break the membrane at the knot that feeds the branch with neutriants and then when it gets a little drier the knot shrinks and the branch falls.

As far as them just falling over goes it is normally a failure of the tap root most of the time due to the lack of ground water as if the tap cant find water then it shrinks and seems it is like a keel on a yaught the tree needs it to stay up right.

[gruntfuttock]

You may be quite right, I do not know. All I know is that trees with a diameter of more than 2 meters just topple over on windless nights. But as to what causes it, well........................ i'll leave that to the xperts;)

Yeah the arborist that we use at work says that it is when the wind blows it can break the membrane at the knot that feeds the branch with neutriants and then when it gets a little drier the knot shrinks and the branch falls.

As far as them just falling over goes it is normally a failure of the tap root most of the time due to the lack of ground water as if the tap cant find water then it shrinks and seems it is like a keel on a yaught the tree needs it to stay up right.

[Scouse]

I had a Eucalyptus Lehmanni (Bushy Yate) at my last place and wanted to propagate it - they have those bizarre flower caps that look like fingers... well, some do.
I've one of those too but it hasn't flowered at all (it's around 6 years old) :(.
All my other gums have though, the Ficifolia & Caesia being my favourites :).

Good luck with your trees Simon. I hope you plan on being in Orange for a while to see the fruits of your labour.

[Slunnie]

Good luck with your trees Simon. I hope you plan on being in Orange for a while to see the fruits of your labour.
Thanks Scott. I'm not sure what my destiny is in Orange, though hopefully I'll still get to see them grow even if I do move back to Sydney as I'd like to keep the property.

[olbod]

Down on the farm when I was a kid, my Nan used to decorate the house at Horsley Park, with vases of gum nuts and red gum tips when they were in season. It used to look and smell wonderful.
We also had a large open fireplace in the main dining, family room.
In winter after we had all retired and the fire had died down, a family of
Possums would come down the chimney and be asleep on the
hearth the next morning. We were not allowed to disturb them and Nan
could not clean the fireplace untill they had finished stretching and yawning and left via the chimney.
In the paddock, behind the dunny and fernery, there was a huge, fat,
box tree. Us kids loved that tree.

These simple things in our daily life are what it's all about and at the end of the day, have the most value.
Cheers.

[cobar 130]

the tree is a ghost gum