Did you know there is a holiday in Australia called Eucalyptus Day?

Did you know? March 23, 2023 is Eucalyptus Day in Australia. Eucalyptus is an iconic species in Australian vegetation, and locals often refer to eucalyptus as "gum tree". There are over 800 species of eucalyptus in Australia, forming forests, woodlands, and shrublands in all environments except the most arid deserts. Most eucalyptus trees possess an incredible ability to rapidly resprout from dormant buds beneath the bark or in lignotubers after damage caused by drought or fire. This ability has helped them survive in the increasingly harsh Australian continent over the past 30 million years.

Australia's national tree is the eucalyptus. Eucalyptus sheds its own bark and emits a scent that has a hypnotic effect. Eucalyptus is also the only food for koalas, so the koalas you typically see are sleeping, spending 20 to 22 hours a day asleep.

When temperatures are high, eucalyptus trees become dehydrated and turn black; if temperatures rise further, they can spontaneously combust. Therefore, in areas with large plantations of eucalyptus in Queensland and New South Wales, bushfires frequently occur.

According to research, there are over 500 species of eucalyptus in Australia. The tallest can grow to over 100 meters, straight and upright, while the shortest are only one or two meters tall, growing as shrubs.

Over the course of long evolution, eucalyptus has developed many unique growth characteristics: to avoid scorching sunlight and reduce water evaporation, eucalyptus leaves hang downward and face the sun sideways. To cope with frequent bushfires, the nutrient-transporting ducts are buried deep within the wood, and the seeds are encased in a thick woody shell. After a major fire, as long as the heartwood of the trunk has not been completely dried out, once the rainy season comes, the tree will be vigorous again.