A signature of late summer in our district is the annual flowering of Grey Box Eucalyptus microcarpa. This year looks like being a particularly productive flowering event, with many trees currently laden with blossom.
Grey Box flowers, Gough's Range Road, 21st February 2012.
The buds of Grey Box are distinctive, diamond-shaped and usually arranged in clusters of 7-9.
Grey Box buds
While Grey Box is widespread locally in a variety of habitats, it is most numerous on infertile sites – a legacy of prolific regrowth following repeated timber harvesting. Prior to European settlement it would have been a prominent feature of the extensive grassy woodlands now largely converted to agriculture. For this reason our most majestic veteran Grey Box are restricted to road reserves or as isolated paddock trees where they provide critical habitat for nectarivorous birds such as lorikeets and honeyeaters. As a result of this chequered history Grey Box Grassy Woodlands are now listed as endangered nationally.
A veteran twin-trunked Grey Box near Gough's Range.
It’s good to see some nice regeneration of Grey Box starting to occur across former woodland areas – triggered by a combination of reduced grazing pressure and favourable climatic conditions.
A close-up on some Grey Box flowers.
Geoff Park
listeningearth
pkavanagh
EJ
francescincotta
darrylobryan
nathankwong
nungeena
john1055283
I note the flowering Grey Box’s on my acreage are covered by swarms of feral bees during the day. I wonder how much this interferes with the ability of honeyeaters to extract nectar and pollen from these trees? I also wonder if birds are sometimes stung and possibly killed by feral bees?