Melton's pointy nosed gum

Is there a more 'stop you in your tracks' eucalypt than this one? The fuchsia-shaped flowers, with their contrasting waxy, red flower bases and eventually an emerging brush of red to yellow anthers, are unusual and ... rather photogenic. 

Back in late March, just before we bunkered down in response to the pandemic, I visited Melton Botanic Garden (on a rather stormy day). It's only 45 minutes from Melbourne CBD but a world away in terms of the plants they can grow there.

While the botanic gardens gets good support from the local Council, it exists only thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers led by John Bentley, President of the Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden. 

And what an amazing job they do. I've visited a couple of times before, but this time I was able to spend more time getting to know the fascinating collection of plants suited to this soil and climate.

A crowd favourite, with good reason, is this Fuchsia Gum, Eucalyptus dolichorhyncha. It's not an uncommon species in the garden of native plant enthusiasts but it loves Melton and it reminds us of how gorgeous our Australian plants can be.

Firstly, why is it Eucalyptus dolichorhyncha and not Eucalyptus forrestiana, a pair of species of limited natural distribution from near Esperance in Western Australia? They are both called Fuchsia Gum, and yes this is one of the reasons we bother with sometimes tortuous botanical nomenclature. 

Eucalyptus dolichorhyncha used to be a subspecies of Eucalyptus forrestiana, suggesting they do have a bit in common. Both have that characteristic four-winged, shiny red flower bud and base.

Eucalyptus dolichorhyncha, however, also has a prominent beak (pointy bit) on its flower cap. Eucalyptus forrestiana has a flat cap. (Speaking of tortuous nomenclature, 'dolichorhyncha' means narrow nosed, a reference to that beak.)

Also, I gather, the fruits on Eucalyptus dolichorhyncha are less pear-shaped that those of Eucalyptus forrestiana.

To confuse things a little, Eucalyptus dolichorhyncha is often sold under the erroneous name Eucalyptus forrestiana. 

Either one is a spectacular plant to grow, particularly if you live in Melton. This tree has a super abundance of flowers and fruits for much of the year - at least it seems to have been in full flower every time I've visited.

As you can see, it's also a relatively small eucalypt, so good for the home garden. There are plenty more eucalypts and other dryland Australian plants, plus some equally attractive exotics, at the Melton Botanic Garden. Beautiful even on this stormy day, foreshadowing perhaps what was to come.