Currency Creek Arboretum

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Currency Creek Arboretum
Currency Creek Arboretum
Type Eucalypt arboretum
Location Currency Creek, South Australia
Coordinates 35°27′15.10″S138°45′39.12″E / 35.4541944°S 138.7608667°E / -35.4541944; 138.7608667 (Currency Creek Arboretum)
Area32 ha (79 acres)
Created1992
Operated byPrivate
OpenBy appointment only
Website http://www.dn.com.au/index.html
Dean Nicolle and Eucalyptus deanei Dean-Nicolle-Deanei.JPG
Dean Nicolle and Eucalyptus deanei
Eucalyptus conferruminata Eucalyptus-20070325-013.jpg
Eucalyptus conferruminata

"I wanted a site that had no trees on it. The soil here is well drained and a sandy loam. There is no limestone on the site so it allows me to grow all the species that aren't too tolerant of limestone, or alkaline soils. The rainfall is relatively low -around 450mm annually. That allows me to grow many desert species, a lot of the temperate species, and also the higher rainfall species, with irrigation." (Dr. Dean Nicolle, 2007)

Contents

[1]

The Currency Creek Arboretum (CCA; or Currency Creek Arboretum Eucalypt Research Centre) is located in the Australian state of South Australia near the small town of Currency Creek and south of the state capital of Adelaide. CCA is a 32-hectare (79-acre) specialist Eucalypt arboretum and research centre, composed solely of Australian native plants. [2]

Privately owned and operated, CCA is open by appointment only and does not charge entry fees. Run by volunteers, there is no paid staff.

History

Dr. Dean Nicolle [3] began looking for land between Mount Compass and Strathalbyn in 1990 to create an arboretum. The specific soil type he was looking for had to be well-drained, limestone-free, and with a neutral or slightly acidic pH. CCA was established in 1992. The site has a Mediterranean climate with 450 mm (18 in) annual rainfall. [4]

The first seed plantings of 18 eucalypts occurred in 1993. All seed collection points were marked with a GPS location and an herbarium voucher. [5] Using trial and error in choosing planting distance, some trees that were initially planted too close are being replanted. [5]

Collection

The eucalypt collection includes 1,000 species and subspecies, [1] with over 8,000 trees. [1] including Eucalyptus , Angophora and Corymbia . Each species is grouped in fours.

Research

Research activities includes eucalypt conservation, cultivation, ecology, physiology, systematics, and taxonomy. [6] Additional research consists of the cut flower industry and honey production, as well as tree use, such as firewood, shade, and windbreaks. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Eucalyptus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family

Eucalyptus is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of Eucalyptus are trees, often mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including Corymbia and Angophora, they are commonly known as eucalypts. Plants in the genus Eucalyptus have bark that is either smooth, fibrous, hard or stringy, the leaves have oil glands, and the sepals and petals are fused to form a "cap" or operculum over the stamens. The fruit is a woody capsule commonly referred to as a "gumnut".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucalypt</span> Type of plant

Eucalypt is any woody plant with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to one of seven closely related genera found across Australia: Eucalyptus, Corymbia, Angophora, Stockwellia, Allosyncarpia, Eucalyptopsis and Arillastrum. In Australia they are commonly known as gum trees.

<i>Corymbia</i> Genus of trees

Corymbia, commonly known as bloodwoods, is a genus of about one hundred species of tree that, along with Eucalyptus, Angophora and several smaller groups, are referred to as eucalypts. Until 1990, corymbias were included in the genus Eucalyptus and there is still considerable disagreement among botanists as to whether separating them is valid. As of January 2020, Corymbia is an accepted name at the Australian Plant Census.

<i>Corymbia ficifolia</i> Species of plant

Corymbia ficifolia, commonly known as red flowering gum, is a species of small tree that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, egg-shaped to broadly lance-shape adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, bright red, pink or orange flowers and urn-shaped fruit. It has a restricted distribution in the wild but is one of the most commonly planted ornamental eucalypts.

<i>Eucalyptus diversicolor</i> Species of eucalyptus endemic to Western Australia

Eucalyptus diversicolor, commonly known as karri, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tall tree with smooth light grey to cream-coloured, often mottled bark, lance-shaped adult leaves and barrel-shaped fruit. Found in higher rainfall areas, karri is commercially important for its timber.

<i>Eucalyptus cladocalyx</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus cladocalyx, commonly known as sugar gum, is a species of eucalypt tree found in the Australian state of South Australia. It is found naturally in three distinct populations - in the Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and on Kangaroo Island.

Currency Creek is a township and locality in South Australia on the western shore of Lake Alexandrina about 6 km north of Goolwa, beside a seasonal stream bearing the same name – Currency Creek – which flows into Lake Alexandrina. The locality includes the headland named Finniss Point which separates the mouths of Currency Creek and the Finniss River.

<i>Eucalyptus fasciculosa</i> Species of eucalypt tree

Eucalyptus fasciculosa, commonly known as pink gum, hill gum or scrub gum, is a species of small tree that is endemic to southern Australia. It has mostly smooth, light grey to pinkish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and conical to barrel-shaped fruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Roberts (painter)</span>

Ian Thomas Roberts is a nationally recognised Australian bird and native vegetation painter; he is a co-director, with his wife Narelle, of the Medika Gallery (Blyth).

<i>Eucalyptus gracilis</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus gracilis, commonly known as yorrell, snap and rattle, red mallee, white mallee or kong mallee, is a species of mallee or small tree endemic to Australia, where it is found in south-western New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. It has smooth white bark, usually with rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the lower stems, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in group of between seven and eleven and cup-shaped, cylindrical or barrel-shaped fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus socialis</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus socialis, commonly known as the red mallee, or grey mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to inland Australia.

<i>Eucalyptus pendens</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus pendens, commonly known as the Badgingarra weeping mallee, is a mallee that is native to a small area on the west coast of Western Australia.

<i>Eucalyptus sparsa</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus sparsa, commonly known as the northern ranges box, is a species of mallee that is endemic to inland Australia, near the border between the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia border. It has smooth pale grey and brown bark, often with rough bark on the base of larger trunks, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, white flowers and shortened spherical to conical fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus yalatensis</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus yalatensis, commonly known as the Yalata mallee, is a species of mallee or a shrub that is endemic to southern Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the stems, smooth bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds mostly in groups of nine, creamy white or yellowish flowers and hemispherical to shortened spherical fruit.

<i>Corymbia dunlopiana</i> Species of plant

Corymbia dunlopiana, commonly known as Dunlop's bloodwood, bongonyin, or Oenpelli bloodwood is a species of tree that is endemic to the Northern Territory. It has rough bark on the trunk and branches, a crown of sessile, juvenile leaves arranged in opposite pairs, flower buds solitary or in groups of three, red flowers and urn-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus remota, commonly known as the Kangaroo Island ash, Kangaroo Island mallee ash, or Mount Taylor mallee, is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It has smooth bark, often with rough, fibrous bark on the trunk, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in group of between nine and twenty one, white flowers and hemispherical or shortened spherical fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus calcareana</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus calcareana, commonly known as the Nundroo mallee or Nundroo gum, is a mallee or a small tree that is endemic to the south coast of Australia. It has smooth, greyish or cream-coloured bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, creamy-white flowers and cup-shaped to conical fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus arcana</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus arcana, commonly known as the Mallee manna gum or Carpenter Rocks gum is a mallee that is endemic to South Australia. It has rough bark from the base of the trunk to the thinnest branches, lance-shaped, sometimes curved leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit. It is only known from a single population near Carpenter Rocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Nicolle</span> Australian botanist, arborist and ecologist

Dean Nicolle, is an Australian botanist, arborist and ecologist. He is widely recognised as the leading authority on the genus Eucalyptus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cazneaux Tree</span> Famous tree in South Australia

The Cazneaux Tree, also known as Cazneaux's Tree, is a Eucalyptus camaldulensis or river red gum that was made famous by the photographer Harold Cazneaux. It is in the Australian state of South Australia in the locality of Flinders Ranges near Wilpena Pound. The tree is located within the boundaries of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park on the west side of the Flinders Ranges Way about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north-east of the Wilpena Pound Resort.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Thomson, Sophie (17 February 2007). "Fact Sheet: Eucalyptus Arboretum". abc.net.au. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  2. "Currency Creek Arboretum Eucalypt Research Centre". chabg.gov.au. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  3. "Curriculum Vitae Dean Nicolle". dn.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  4. Thompson, Paul (2007). "Sampling Australia - A showcase of eucalypts" (PDF). aila.org.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  5. 1 2 Hay, Ashley (23 October 2002). "Eucalypts all in a row". dn.com.au. The Bulletin. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  6. "Currency Creek Arboretum Eucalypt Research Centre". bgci.org. Retrieved 9 October 2009.