White peppermint - Eucalyptus pulchella

E. pulchella is a tree that grows to up to 20 m tall and forms a lignotuber. This is a woody swelling at the base of the tree below or just above the ground. It contains ‘adventitious’ buds i.e. new buds normally appear much higher in the tree but these ones are a useful adaption that allow the tree to develop new shoots if the top of the plant is breaks off or is burnt.

It is endemic to the lowlands of south-east Tasmania typically on undulating, hilly terrain at altitudes between 100-500m above sea level. It occurs on the north-west facing slopes of the hills on shallow free-draining dolerite soils.

It has smooth white or pale grey bark although older trees have rough, fibrous greyish bark.

It typically flowers from November to March producing white flowers.

It was first described in 1829 by the botanist René Louiche Desfontaines in his book Catalogus Plantarum Horti Regii Parisiensis.

The name likely derives from ‘pulchellus’ is Latin for beautiful, and may refer to the crown (the branches at the top of the tree).

It is also know as the Narrow Leaved Peppermint.

The tree was planted in the Park in 2011.

Sources

Atlas of Living Australia - https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2916232

EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia Forth Edition (2020)https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/entities/eucalyptus_pulchella.htm

Source: https://www.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/living-in-merri-bek/environment/trees/tree-finder/eucalyptus-pulchella/

Eucalyptus pulchella in the Park