Butter gum (Eucalyptus laeliae)
Like the ghost gums of inland Australia (three or more species of Corymbia), butter gum is striking for its gleaming white bark — and is often called ‘Darling Range ghost gum’. Its more elegant name ‘butter gum’ refers to the creamy colour of the new bark, in autumn, before it fades to white.
Another lovely feature of butter gum is that, within the masses of foliage, the leaves are often grouped into little clumps, often giving the foliage a light, textured appearance.
Butter gum is an uncommon species, confined to granite areas in the Darling Range between the Helena Valley and Harvey.
© Text and photographs: Robert Powell