Peppermint (Agonis flexuosa)
Peppermint (Aboriginal name: wonnil) is common in the lower South-West. In Perth, at the northern end of its range, it has only a limited occurrence, in City Beach and Swanbourne, and in places bordering the lower Swan Estuary — including Peppermint Grove, named after this tree.
Many people will know peppermint best as a pruned street tree, often in the shape of a large mop! Natural, unpruned specimens have a willowy appearance, and can be very graceful, particularly when young. Older trees develop a thick trunk and lower branches and are full of interesting character.
The specimens in the photographs are in order from north to south.
© Text and photographs: Robert Powell