Liam McNally
Some of Australia’s most iconic plants are honoured on National Eucalypt Day, which the Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden (FMBG) is celebrating with a free guided tour.
David and Barb Pye manage FMBG’s Dryland Eucalyptus Arboretum, and will be guiding the tour on Thursday, March 23 across three hectares of land to see more than 100 species of eucalypt.
My Pye said he’s a strong believer that eucalypts are “works of art”.
“Eucalypt Day is a day to celebrate the eucalypt, which is a group of about 1000 species of plants that are pretty iconic to Australia,” he said.
The eucalypts in Melton Botanic Garden tolerate a dry climate and low water conditions, specifically chosen from regions in Australia with 450mm or less of yearly rainfall.
Mr Pye said dry climate eucalypts are often fairly small and suitable for growing in pots or small gardens.
“The public view is that eucalypts are big trees but most come from dry areas that only grow to three to six metres so there’s plenty that are suitable for even small gardens,” he said.
Some of Mr Pye’s favourite plants to be shown on the tour include Eucalyptus Rhodantha (rose gum), a rare species from the Geraldton area with very large red flowers that bloom from late winter until the end of spring, or the gardens 50-year-old Eucalyptus Dolichorhyncha (fuchsia gum).
The tour is from 10am to noon, but guests are encouraged to arrive at 9.45am. Meet at the Information Shelter near the Depot, 21 Williams St, Melton. Guests should bring their own water and snacks.
Booking through humantix.
Details: events.humanitix.com/national-eucalypt-day-2023-guided-tour-at-the-melton-botanic-garden
