East Gippsland peppermint facts for kids

The East Gippsland peppermint (scientific name: Eucalyptus croajingolensis) is a special type of tree. It is found only in southeastern Australia. This tree is known for its rough, fibrous bark on its trunk and larger branches. It also has white flowers and interesting cup-shaped fruits.

What Does the East Gippsland Peppermint Look Like?

This tree can grow very tall, sometimes up to 30 meters (about 100 feet). It has rough, grey or brownish bark on its trunk and branches. Sometimes, the thinner branches have smooth, white or grey bark. The tree can also regrow from a special woody base called a lignotuber if it gets damaged.

Young East Gippsland peppermint trees have leaves that are shaped like a spear or an egg. These leaves are about 4 to 9 centimeters long and 1.3 to 3.2 centimeters wide. They grow directly from the stem without a stalk.

As the tree gets older, its leaves change. Adult leaves are dull bluish or green on both sides. They are shaped like a spear or are slightly curved. These leaves are about 8 to 18 centimeters long and 1.2 to 4.2 centimeters wide. They have a stalk, called a petiole, which is about 1 to 2.5 centimeters long.

The tree's flower buds grow in groups of nine to nineteen or more. Each group sits on a small stalk called a peduncle. The individual buds are oval or club-shaped. They are about 3 to 5 millimeters long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide. Each bud has a cap, called an operculum, which is cone-shaped or rounded.

The East Gippsland peppermint flowers are white. They usually bloom from December to February. After flowering, the tree produces woody fruits. These fruits are shaped like a hemisphere or a cup. They are about 4 to 6 millimeters long and wide. Each fruit sits on a small stalk called a pedicel.

How Did It Get Its Name?

The East Gippsland peppermint was first officially described in 1990. Two botanists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill, gave it its scientific name. They found a sample of the tree near a place called Orbost.

The second part of its scientific name, croajingolensis, comes from the area where this eucalypt is found. This area is called Croajingolong. The ending -ensis is a Latin suffix that means "from a place or country." So, the name tells us where the tree comes from!

Where Does It Grow?

The East Gippsland peppermint tree grows in forests. It often prefers soils that have been deposited by rivers, known as alluvial soils. You can find this tree from near Eden in New South Wales down to Bairnsdale in Victoria. It mostly grows east and south of the Great Dividing Range.