Tuart trees

Stately tuart has dense foliage, dull grey bark and showy white to cream flowers. It is restricted to coastal areas. The largest stands of tuart forest can be seen around Wonnerup and Ludlow, where the trees intermingle with peppermints. Early accounts by explorers and settlers near Busselton describe the forest as a "beautiful open forest in which visibility was clear for a half mile in any direction". It is remarkable that the tuart forest has survived at all. The land on which it grows was eagerly sought for grazing, the limestone found in its soil was quarried to manufacture quicklime for building and agriculture, and the light yellow wood was prized for its high density and resistance to wear.

OTHER NAMES: White gum, duart.

DESCRIPTION: This medium-sized to tall tree grows up to 40 metres high. Its rough, fibrous grey bark flakes into small pieces. The leaves are often curved, 90 to 160 millimetres long, and are a shiny light green above and paler below. The almost stalkless buds cluster in groups of seven. Each bud has a prominent broad bud cap which is eight to 10 millimetres long. The fruits are narrow, cup-shaped and 13 to 25 millimetres long, with a fairly broad rim.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Tuart buds are very distinctive; they have swollen bud caps and are shaped like small ice cream cones.

HABITAT: This tree likes sandy soils in coastal limestone areas.

STATEWIDE DISTRIBUTION: Tuart grows from Jurien Bay to near Busselton.

FLOWERING TIME: Summer and early autumn.

USES: In the past, tuart timber was used to craft whim and wagon wheels, journals for propeller shafts, decking for wagons, telegraph pegs and tool handles. After World War II, a tuart mill was built at Ludlow especially for rolling stock construction.