To the modern man, Gum Trees are the origins of an industry. To Koala bears, these trees are their home and food source. To the Aboriginal tribes, Gum Trees are sacred and symbols of purity, that which connects them and the land to the heavens. Some Gum trees grow so tall as if stretching to touch the sky. Some have lived so long, enough to tell the tales of the land long before its history was written. 

 

Named after the gummy and sticky substance that oozes out from a cut in its bark, Australian Gum Trees are otherwise known as Eucalyptus Trees. They produce a sap called ‘Kino’ - an organic resin that’s usually red in color. This sap production is a response to a boring insect - a eucalyptus borer, often a long-horned beetle. The insect would bore a hole into the tree’s truck or branches to make itself a nest. The Gum tree would then release its sap to wash out and kill the offending insects. Standing tall in dry land, Gum trees seem as if a bleeding miracle in its attempt to save itself from infestation. Sadly, such an infestation is also an indication of a stressed tree. They’re essentially quite thirsty. A weeping tree is already in trouble. However, as nature would have it, many species of Gum trees survive a drought and even bushfires. After a fire consumes the bush, new sprouts can emerge out of the ashes. Some species survive in cooler environments. 812 species of Eucalypts are native to modern Australia. Some are endemic only to the continent. The remaining of a total of 826 Eucalyptus species naturally occur in The Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands. Due to human movement, many Eucalyptus species are currently grown all over the world due to economical or aesthetic interest. In a deeper investigation of its origins, scientists have yet to find fossil evidence of Eucalypts in Australia. However, climate and conditions of the land may contribute to the lack of fossilized Eucalyptus.