Australia’s “Ice-Age” Eucalypt
- Gregory Andrews
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
I first met this rather innocuous looking tree on Yuin and Walbunja Country near Mongarlowe when I was Threatened Species Commissioner. I’d listed it as one of 30 endangered plants for urgent recovery. Why? Because it was alive before the pyramids were built! And I’m not talking about the species, I’m talking about this actual tree!
There are only about six wild Mongarlowe Mallee trees left in the wild, each a multi-stemmed mallee growing out of a giant and ancient underground trunk called a lignotuber. Genetic work shows each clump is a distinct individual. Scientists estimate these living elders are thousands of years old, definitely older than the pyramids and possibly as old as 10,000 years.
What keeps the Mongarlowe Mallee on the brink is the maths of its tiny population. The plants are so far apart that cross-pollination rarely happens, viable seed is scant, and even curious feet can damage roots and compact soil. On top of that, hybridisation with other gums trees dilutes their seed. Phytophthora dieback and site disturbance are also risks. That’s why locations are kept confidential and rangers and scientists are so protective.
There’s hope, and it looks like patient care. The NSW Saving our Species program has the mallee on its books, with work ranging from site protection to hand-pollination trials and insurance populations in botanic gardens. These are slow, careful experiments to help the tree set seed, grow seedlings, and keep its options open.
People sometimes call it the “ice-age gum”. It’s a reminder that this species evolved in cooler and drier glacial climates and then shrank to a few refuges as conditions warmed. In other words, part of its decline has been natural extinction over long timescales. But the climate is changing far faster than past natural shifts. If a eucalypt that survived the last ice age is now down to a handful of individuals, what will rapid, human-driven change do to it and the rest of Australia’s flora?
That’s why this week for #FloraAndFaunaFriday, I want to honour this elder. A tree that has outlived empires and is asking for our humility, science, and care. Australia’s story still needs to include an ice-age eucalypt in the centuries to come.
Greg,
Really interesting — these trees are probably older than most human ‘civilisations’. Definitely older than any known ones. Good work on writing about this—not something you usually read outside of specialist publications.
We are yet to learn about the medicinal properties of various species. For instance, clinical trials on Gumbi Gumbi (Pittosporum augustifolium), leaves and fruit, used in traditional Indigenous medicine, are only just emerging. Its uses are listed as: immune support, cancer-fighting properties, blood pressure control, diabetic regulation and other health benefits. Also, in 2021, a study was conducted by Copenhagen researchers on Turpentine bush (Eremophilia galeata), also known as Burra. Studies on this sticky-leafed desert shrub, found in W.A., indicates that improves the efficacy of chemo drugs. Yet, we are clearing bushland like there is no tomorrow and, perhaps, there won't be the way we are heading.