Eucalyptus viminalis Manna Gum

E. viminalis  is a tree that typically grows up to 50m but has been known to be up to 90 m tall in Tasmania, and forms a lignotuber (click here to find out what a lignotuber is). Its common names are commonly known as the manna gum, white gum or ribbon gum. “Manna” refers to the sweet edible white substance produced in the bark.

The bark can be smooth over the trunk - white to cream, yellow, light grey or pale brown - or has a thick covering of rough bark starting at about 2 m above base, grey, brown or black in colour.

Flowering has been recorded from December through to May, with white flowers.

Its natural distribution is widespread in the wetter parts of south-eastern Australia from southern Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island in South Australia into Victoria, Tasmania, eastern New South Wales and southern Queensland (see map).

It is highly valued by local Traditional Owners for it manna which dries in the hot summer month, falling to the ground in small irregular lumps.

It name ‘viminalis’ is Latin which refers to ribbons for wicker-work, which is thought to refer the prominent ribboning of the bark.

The tree was planted in the Park in 1987.

Sources

PlantNET - https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Eucalyptus~viminalis

Vicflora - https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/4986f096-0923-4a4b-8d65-fbb209ae0042

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

Atlas of Living Australia - https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/taxon/apni/51290421

E. viminalis in the Park