Scientific Name: Eucalyptus grandis

Common Name: Flooded Gum

As recent owners of Booyong we are constantly making new discoveries! When preparing for the Farm Gate Tour  recently we came across a gigantic flooded gum. It was wonderful to share this discovery with visitors on the day. This species was previously considered the tallest tree in NSW. It’s incredibly high and can grow up to 75 metres. The circumference of the tree we discovered measured at Booyong is 8ft which we found quite impressive.

The tree looks stunning late in the afternoon when the sun shines upon it, one of my favourite sights. The Eucalyptus grandis has smooth white powdery bark and is sometimes referred to as a Rose Gum due to its occasional pink shade of bark.  At the base of the tree the bark is often rough and flaky as you can see in the picture it sheds and gathers at the base.

The tree naturally grows around Newcastle and north to Bundaberg in Queensland, with smaller populations near Townsville and the Daintree. They are commonly found on the fringe of rainforests and prefer deep, moist and well-drained soils. It flowers in white clusters from April to August and is a good source of pollen for bees. Koala’s and Yellow-tailed Black cockatoos are species that also find it a favourable food source.

The flooded gum is grown in timber plantations in Australia and overseas, especially Brazil, South Africa, Argentina and India.

For more comprehensive information about the flooded gum see the Government factsheet.