Mountain Creek Flora

Mountain CreekFlora Tall Forest

Being part of the Alpine National Park, travel through Mountain Creek provides a great examples of the magnificent flora to be found in the region.

Mountain Creek / Alpine National Park Flora

The region is home to some amazing flora, including some huge forest Eucalypt that include Eucalyptus cypellocarpa, Eucalyptus delegagtensis, Eucalyptus pauciflora and Eucalyptus regnans. Some of the bark from the eucalyptus trees are amazing, such as can be seen in this Eucalyptus viminalis, also known as the Manna Gum.

Many thanks for help with ID Eucalyptus viminalis to David Howlett, Facebook Australian Indigenous Plant Identification group.

It is thought that the following is Eucalyptus cypellocarpa, a species of straight, smooth-barked Eucalyptus with smooth white, grey or yellowish bark. It is commonly known as Mountain grey gum, Mountain gum, Monkey gum and Spotted mountain grey gum.

Ferns thrive in the gullies, whilst the lower slopes of the mountains are surrounded by tall forests of Alpine Ash, Peppermint and Blue Gum. These are replaced by Snow Gum woodlands further up the mountain, which in turn give way to alpine grasslands and heathlands at an altitude of about 1,600 metres. Here the snow stays longer and the average temperature is low – less than 10ºC.

Tree Ferns thrive where they followed the flow of Mountain Creek. The Shady Gully Nature Walk/Tree Fern Walk provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy the ferns in their natural environment.

The water journeys from Mountain Creek to the Kiewa River and eventually into the Murray River. Tree Ferns thrive in the gullies, especially where they followed the flow of Mountain Creek.

As we travelled up the mountain side, at various points along the track you could look down the mountain and your eyes knew where the creek was by following the thick line of tree ferns.

If you turn your head to look up the mountain, your eyes could still follow the line of trees ferns, as it weaved its way up the mountain side.

The following images of the amazing looking purple berries belong to a native plant named Dianella tasmanica. It is also commonly known as Tasman Flax Lily, Flax Lily and Blue Berry Flax Lily.

The first specimen of Dianella tasmanica was collected in 1837 by South African botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn in Tasmania.

D. tasmanica is a perennial species found in shaded moist forests in Tasmania, Victoria and along the east coast of New South Wales.