Eucalyptus
prava: is known as the Orange Gum. In days gone by this species was
included in the Eucalyptus bancroftii complex. This included
populations from the North Coast and Northern Tablelands of New South Wales.
The classifiers decided to split these two populations. The Coastal population
has remained as Eucalyptus bancroftii whilst the Tablelands population
is now Eucalyptus prava. Horticulturally there is little to separate
the two species.
Eucalyptus prava develops into a small to medium tree with smooth bark
that comes in a range of colours. Patchy grey, grey-brown, orange and
red-brown are all colours in the palette of Orange Gum bark colours. In spring
the bark is shed in large plates or flakes. This is when the orange colour is
most vivid. As the year progresses this colour fades. Large white flowers
appear in late spring and summer. Attractive gum nuts follow the flowers.
Eucalyptus prava is one of the seven Eucalypt species that occur
naturally at Yallaroo. Our Orange Gums are usually small trees with solitary
trunks often rather twisted (see image). There are a couple of specimens that
were apparently damaged when young. These plants have developed mallee growth
habit with multiple stems. This growth habit may be encouraged by coppicing.
This entails cutting of a solitary trunk about 45 cm above the ground when the
plant is about two years old or when the specimen is two metres tall.
The bark of the Orange Gum is the most attractive feature of this species.
This Eucalypt could be grown as a “stand alone” specimen tree or
cultivated in a grove of Eucalypts with different trunk types.
Propagates readily from seed.