Water Gum Tristaniopsis laurina
Tristaniopsis laurina, the water gum or kanooka, is a tree species native to Australia. It is closely related to the nearby Brush Box (Lophostemon Confertus) and usually grows near the eastern coastline and along the banks of streams, where the trunks and branches tend to be shaped in the direction of the current and give an indication of the flood height. Here it is in the wetland created from the oval.
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It has a slow rate of growth, is multi-branched and usually reaches 4.6–9.1 m tall.
Photo R Miller
Photo R Miller
The flowers are bright yellow and have a distinctive and, to some, unpleasant odour. They attract, butterflies and honeybees as well as native bees. They usually bloom in the late spring or early summer.
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Scale insects commonly attack this species and leaf-hoppers and leaf-eating beetles occasionally attack the leaves.
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The timber is close grained, tough, strong and fairly light in weight. It is used for the commercial production of tool handles, mallets and wooden screws. Before metal “woods” it was used for golf clubs.