another thing you never knew about ungeheuer...

[ungeheuer]

I'm a tree nerd.

25 years ago we planted over 600 trees on our property.  Mostly gum trees and some wattles too. 

We wanted to grow heating fuel, to create koala habitat... and just have the benefit of a little forest of our own.

Our Blackwood Wattles - Acacia melanoxylon - flower glorious yellow bloom in the midst of winter (I've shown you winter's Acacias before  >>  http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=64994.0 ).  They're also a very good firewood species.

As you know, koalas eat eucalyptus foliage.  In this region they have a preference for Manna gums - Eucalyptus viminalis - and Southern Blue gums - Eucalyptus globulus.  They're both fast growing varieties native to this area...  good, but not fantastic fire wood.  River Red gums - Eucalyptus camaldulensis - are also preferred koala fodder and make excellent fire wood.... they dont much like growing here though....  25 year old trees still feeble in comparison to the local species.

All eucalypts flower, most varieties are very subtle however.  But the commonly called Red Flowering gums - Eucalyptus ficifolia - are not at all shy.  Red Flowering is a misnomer though.... most often they are red.  But can be orange.. pink... and occasionally even white.  Around the perimeter of our wood lot, nearest to the house we planted show-off Ficifolias.  The heat of summer brings 'em out in full bloom.

You bored yet?

Some backyard summer ficifolia pictures then 















Red flowering gums all, even the white, pink and orange ones 

[brimo]

 

[Ddan]

Nice.  I like your February way better than mine 

[ducpainter]

^^^^^^

I was thinking the same

[Ducatamount]

Beautiful! 
It looks "other worldly" compared to my current scenic view.

[Oldfisti]

My current scenic view...

[ducpainter]

My current scenic view...

[Howie]

WOW!

[DarkMonster620]

I could live in a place like that . . .

[ungeheuer]

..if it was smellivision I could show you our Lemon Scented gums - Eucalyptus citriodora - which when you crush their leaves smell exactly like lemon.... or the Peppermint gums - Eucalyptus dives - which....

Yup, you guessed it.

Any other Australian native tree facts you never wanted to know? 

[TiNi]

lookin good ...tree nerd 

[WarrenJ]

Are the gum trees less dense than the acacia's?  Is that why the difference in firewood quality?  Do either of the species work for lumber?  They sure put out some bold flowers!  Thanks for the pics!

[ungeheuer]

Are the gum trees less dense than the acacia's?  Is that why the difference in firewood quality?  Do either of the species work for lumber?  They sure put out some bold flowers!  Thanks for the pics!

Hooked me one   .

Depends.  Gum trees vary widely.  River Red gums are extremely dense and make superb firewood.  Blackwoods (Acacias) are dense too, more so than the Blue gums which love to grow here.  Blue gum isnt widely regarded as great firewood... but since they shoot up like weeds.... I reckon I can afford to burn 150% of something that grows 500% faster  .

Both are great hardwood timber.  Blackwood is beautiful (much too nice to just burn - even though thats what I do with it).  All of the framing and flooring in our house is Eucalyptus obliqua aka Messmate (or Tasmanian Oak if you're a real estate agent  )..

[Oldfisti]

Hooked me one  .

Hooked you two 

Nice flooring you have there.     It does look a bit like red oak.

[WarrenJ]

Beautiful stuff!  I am thinking about getting a Logosol mill or maybe just an Alaska Mill attachment for making some lumber.  I have a 10 acre woodlot that I cut firewood out of but there are some real nice red and white oaks down in there that are too nice for firewood.  We had a bad windstorm several years ago and I lost 4 of my 9 black walnut trees along with three large spruce trees from the yard.  I had a guy come in with a woodmizer bandsaw rig and knock it all into lumber.  Had the walnut and some white oak kiln dried so I have a couple thousand board feet of nice lumber.  One of my remaining black walnuts is about 4' on the butt so when that goes, there will be a pile of lumber.  I like working in the woods.