Who will win eucalypt of the year?
Eucalypts have been around for more than 50 million years and make up some of the tallest flowering plants in the world. They can even suck gold up from the ground!
With around 900 species living today, eucalypts form an iconic part of the native Australian landscape.
Each year on National Eucalypt Day (23 March), Eucalypt Australia announces the Eucalypt of the Year, as decided by the public.
Last year the river red gum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, took out the big prize, but who will win this year? The votes are already coming in and the competition is running hot.
As Australia grapples with the impacts of a warming climate, there has never been a more important time to bring attention to our eucalypts as a critically important and unique native flora.
Voting closes 5pm on Friday 22 March, and the winner will be announced on Saturday 23 March.
How to vote for your favourite eucalypt
Submit your vote via this online form, or tweet your vote @EucalyptAus using the hashtag #EucalyptoftheYear.
Fast facts about eucalypts
- Eucalypts can be divided into three groups: Corymbia (bloodwoods), Angophora (apples) and Eucalyptus – the group that forms the bulk of the species.
- Their leaves and bark shed easily and are highly flammable, but it’s all part of their survival strategy: a fire that burns hot and moves through a eucalypt forest quickly won’t do as much damage to the trees as a fire that burns slowly.
- They can sequester gold: eucalypts in the Kimberley that were sitting on top of underground gold deposits were found to have tiny particles of gold in their leaves and bark, which they sucked up from the ground.
- Koalas don’t really get drunk from eating eucalypt leaves: eucalypt leaves are low in energy, so koalas must eat up to a kilogram each day to meet their energy needs. To conserve this energy, koalas sleep around 22 hours per day – a behaviour which has led to this common misconception.
Thanks for posting, very interesting, never heard of eucalptus day, I am voting for Eucalputs ficifolia.