There are many important trees growing in Botanic Park's 34 hectares.
The collection of over 1,500 specimens includes native and exotic species, including plane trees, figs, oaks, olives, palms, conifers and many species known for their spectacular flowering displays.
Among the specimens are the seven remnant Red Gum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, the only gum which grows throughout Australia.
Indigenous Australians utilise the bark of these trees to make canoes and bowls and its leaves and resin for medicinal purposes. The trunk is easily hollowed out, providing shelter for animals including possums, parrots and even wood ducks. The beautiful red wood is hard and strong and has been used to make railway sleepers, fence posts and jetties.
It's an important tree for the people and animals of Australia.
Specimens of the striking Moreton Bay Fig Ficus macrophylla, with their beautiful buttress roots spreading over the ground, can be found along Plane Tree Drive between Conservatory Gate and Friend’s Gate.
Nearby, there is one Strangler Fig Ficus thonningii which in the natural environment starts its life high up in the rainforests as seed brought to the branches by birds, bats, and other animals.
Up high their leaves catch the sun and the plant quickly grows down to the ground, providing food and homes for animals and replacing old trees with new healthy fig trees.
What will you discover as you walk, party or picnic in the Park?
