Natives & coastal icons
River Red Gum
Eucalyptus camaldulensis
The biggest natives in Melbourne's east were never planted. River red gums along the Yarra corridor through Kew and Hawthorn, and dotted through reserves toward the bay, are remnants of the woodland that covered this country before the suburbs, and some have been standing for several centuries.
How to spot a river red gum
Bark
Smooth and mottled in patches of cream, grey and dusty pink, shedding in irregular plates. Old trunks develop rough, dark collars near the base.
Leaves
Long, narrow and gently curved like a sickle, dull grey-green and hanging vertically so the crown casts a light, dappled shade.
Form
Massive and spreading with a short, huge trunk and heavy, twisting limbs. Old paddock and river trees are often wider than tall.
Flowers & gumnuts
Clusters of small white blossom in summer, followed by little hemispherical gumnuts. Listen for the bees working a flowering crown.
Hollows
Old red gums are full of hollows that house possums, parrots, kookaburras and owls. A crown full of traffic at dusk is part of the identification.
Where you'll see it around the south east
The Yarra corridor is the stronghold: Yarra Bend, Studley Park and the river-edge blocks of Kew and Hawthorn. Remnant individuals stand in reserves and golf courses across the south east, including pockets toward Sandringham and Hampton, often the oldest living things in their suburb.
Worth knowing
River red gums are among the most widespread eucalypts in Australia and among the longest-lived trees in Melbourne, with significant specimens registered and protected by councils. A remnant red gum on private land is a direct link to the pre-settlement landscape.
Easily confused with
Manna gums shed bark in long hanging ribbons rather than plates. Yellow box keeps rough bark on the trunk with smooth upper limbs. Spotted gums have a more uniform, dimpled trunk. The mottled plates, sickle leaves and sheer bulk mark out the red gum.
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