Description
My painting of Eucalyptus flowers was a pleasure to paint.
Eucalyptus, or gum trees are the quintessential Australian tree, and one of my favourite subjects to paint.
Eucalypt flowers have evolved to attract specific pollinators. And they’re basically pollinated by insects.
Most eucalypts flower in summer.
While these species of eucalypts have pale coloured flowers, others such as the Darwin woollybutt and the large-fruited mallee are more brightly coloured.
These species flower in winter and are pollinated by birds.
The colour is the stamens — the male part of the flower.
The outer shell is usually referred to as gumnuts, but they’re actually capsule.
This means that they open by valves at the top of the fruit. These hard, woody capsules have a thick wall, which is not destroyed by heat. The capsules open up after fire to release the undamaged seeds.