Poplar Box

Description:

Eucalyptus populnea, commonly known as poplar box, bimble box or bimbil box, is an Australian native eucalypt from the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to eastern Australia and occurs naturally in this area. It can reach up to 20 metres in height. The bark is rough and fibrous, occurring on the trunk and upper branches. Leaves are well-rounded with an elliptical shape, and the seed pods very small and cup-shaped. I didn't see any flowers. PS: My latest visit was just after several days of steady rain, and believe me, it was very squishy underfoot! This is a flood plain after all.

Habitat:

Spotted at the swamp area on the southern side of freshwater Lake Broadwater, which forms part of the Lake Broadwater Conservation Park.... https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/lake-... This region is very flat, and Lake Broadwater is the only large, naturally-occurring freshwater lake on the Darling Downs. Dalby is the nearest town. NB: Just a little over 12 months ago and this lake was completely dry due to the massive drought that Australia experienced. It's wonderful to see how the lake and surrounding bushland has recovered. Birdlife was abundant.

Notes:

A very useful tree. It is a favourite food tree for koalas in the range where it occurs. The flowers of E. populnea produce honey of a good quality, but of limited supply, and which is very dense and pale amber in colour. The timber has been found to be durable and hard and is suitable for fence posts and construction work. However, it is not any easy to work timber and is susceptible to white ant attack. It is a suitable species for a windbreak, as it can be propagated easily and is not difficult to establish. It is an excellent fuel, producing a great deal of heat and burns cleanly. (Wikipedia)