Alice Springs Flora •
Alice Springs FloraAlice Springs Flora Index Acacia ligulata Annual Yellowtop Apple Bush Bougainvillea Burdekin Plum Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqa) Cattle Bush Desert Cotton (Aerva javanica) Desert Oak Eremophila Wildberry Feijoa sellowiana Flannel Cudweed Fork-leaf Corkwood Ghost Gum Golden Everlasting Kurrajong Lemon-flowered Gum MacDonnell’s Desert Fuchsia Native Bluebell Native Tomato Needlewood Olive Tree Perennial Yellow Top Rat’s Tail River Red Gum Inland River Red Gum Rosy Dock Round-leaved Mallee Scurvy Grass Silky Eremophila Stemodia viscosa Striped Mintbush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Weeping Bottlebrush White Cedar Yellow Billybutton Yellow-keeled Swainsona Yellow Oleander
— see Eucalyptus Index
One of the iconic trees in Alice Springs and Central Australia is the River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) that can be seen throughout Alice Springs, along street verges, gardens and especially along the Todd River.
Whilst you do not have to go out of town to see some magnificent examples of the River Red Gum, those who do go for a scenic drive, especially along the ranges, taking in and crossing over dry river and creek beds in the area, you will see some wonderful examples of the River Red Gum.
In the following you can see young examples of the River Red Gums growing along the banks and in the Todd River (during one of those times when the river actually has water flowing through it).
A tree that is endemic to Australia, the mature trees have the distinctive red and white colours in the bark, are quite knotted, with some known to be hundreds of years old. As a young tree, it starts off with a more smooth white to cream-coloured bark. Over time, the bark can takes on some amazing colour variation.
In the heart of Alice Springs between the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory Building and Alice Springs Plaza, there is a sacred River Red Gum.
River Red Gum
Eucalyptus camaldulens
ilwempe
This grand old tree provides clear evidence of past Todd River flood levels. Earlier this century there were a number of River Red Gums in Todd and Parsons Sts. On the north side of the street stood the Old Stuart Arms Hotel and to the South Fred Raggatt’s Store. Unfortunately only this specimen has survived local town developments.
The tree is sacred to the Arrernte people, a part of the Kwekatye dreaming which tells of the uninitiated boys who travelled through Mparntwe (Alice Springs) from Kwiyernpe (Pine Gap). This tree is legally protected as a sacred site and is registered with the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority.
River Red Gums occur along watercourse in all states except Tasmania.
The building of the Todd River boardwalk around Annie Meyer Hill was surrounded by controversy at the time, with much sadness even today for the traditional custodians. The following photo is a section of the boardwalk, with river red gum growing on either side.
More info in our Flora section on the River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis).
On the leaves of the River Red Gums you will often find the white, sugary lerps. Made by the tiny, nymphs of an insect called a Glycaspis psyllid species, these nymph sucks sugar from the leaf. The insect consumes some of the sugar and uses the rest to make a white shelter known as lerps (that provide protective covers for the nymphs).
These sweet treat, referred to as “bush lollies” are the edible Eucalyptus Lerps. The Arrernte name for these is peraltye.
Check out our Flora > Eucalyptus > River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis).
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Charophyta
- Class: Equisetopsida
- Subclass: Magnoliidae
- Superorder: Rosanae
- Order: Myrtales
- Family: Myrtaceae
- Genus: Eucalyptus
- Species: Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Footnote & References
- Boardwalk now a permanent blight on the landscape, by Kieran Finnane, 16 August 2016, Alice Springs News, https://alicespringsnews.com.au/2016/08/16/boardwalk-now-a-permanent-blight-on-the-landscape/
- Custodians’ faith in sacred sites authority destroyed, by Kieran Finnane, 15 August 2016, Alice Springs News, https://alicespringsnews.com.au/2016/03/15/custodians-faith-in-sacred-sites-authority-destroyed/
Alice Springs FloraAlice Springs Flora Index Acacia ligulata Annual Yellowtop Apple Bush Bougainvillea Burdekin Plum Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqa) Cattle Bush Desert Cotton (Aerva javanica) Desert Oak Eremophila Wildberry Feijoa sellowiana Flannel Cudweed Fork-leaf Corkwood Ghost Gum Golden Everlasting Kurrajong Lemon-flowered Gum MacDonnell’s Desert Fuchsia Native Bluebell Native Tomato Needlewood Olive Tree Perennial Yellow Top Rat’s Tail River Red Gum Inland River Red Gum Rosy Dock Round-leaved Mallee Scurvy Grass Silky Eremophila Stemodia viscosa Striped Mintbush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Weeping Bottlebrush White Cedar Yellow Billybutton Yellow-keeled Swainsona Yellow Oleander
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