THE HORT. SECTION Caring for Melbourne Gardens’ grand old trees Eleni Vassiliadis, Digital Assistant, Development, Marketing and Communications, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria What would the grand old trees of Melbourne Gardens say if they could talk? These historic and, in some cases, remnant trees have witnessed the evolution and growth of Melbourne and require some special TLC as they age. Large old trees are biological treasure troves. The many unique characteristics they develop as they age, including hollows, bark fissures, large volumes of dead wood and complex canopy structures, essentially form micro-ecosystems and enable them to support a myriad of species which rely on them for food and shelter. Two stand-out specimens are a majestic Araucaria bidwillii (Bunya Bunya Pine) planted in 1897, and the iconic Lions Head Tree, a majestic eucalypt which earned its unique name due to the resemblance of the gall on its trunk to a lion’s head. Considered to be one of the most significant trees growing at Melbourne Gardens, the Lions Head Tree is Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum). The species was named for the Camaldoli Gardens in Italy where it was first described in 1832 by Frederick Dehnhardt, Chief Gardener. Dehnardt propagated River Red Gum plants from seeds sent to him in 1818 from New South Wales. The Lions Head Tree was first photographed in Melbourne Gardens in 1885 and is still going strong in 2019. Calculating its exact age is tricky, but considering it displayed characteristics of an older gum when first photographed, it likely existed in the early 1800s, where it was originally nestled beside a marshy backwater, which the Yarra River would flood into, known as Tromgin to the First People. This tree was most likely a sapling when, in 1835, a squatter camp was set up on the banks of the Yarra River nearby, which would eventually develop into the city of Melbourne.
The Lions Head River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in 1885, Image from the State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 36
The striking knuckled appearance on this Erythrina crista-galli (Cockspur Coral Tree) specimen is due to the ancient practice of pollarding. THE BOTANIC GARDENer | ISS 53 SUMMER 2019/20
