Last Sunday, March 23 was National Eucalypt Day. There are events being held throughout March, right around Australia, to celebrate this absolutely iconic Australian group of plants.

There are over 800 species of Eucalyptus, most of them only occurring in Australia, with a small number also (or only) occurring overseas. In addition to plants in the Eucalyptus genus, there are also two other related genera, Columbia and Angophora, which are also widely called 'eucalypts.' Eucalypts include the tallest flowering plant on earth, the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) that grows in Victoria and Tasmania, and also some small trees right down to the Varnished Gum (Eucalyptus vernicosa) of the Tasmanian mountains that grows as a mallee or even a shrub. 

Almost wherever you look in the Illawarra, there are eucalypts growing. Whether it's the massive Blackbutts (Eucalyptus pilularis) common on the spurs of the escarpment foothills, the rough-barked Swamp Mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta) down in the coastal sands, or the graceful Silver-top Ash (Eucalyptus sieberi) up on the nutrient-poor soils on the plateau, they're all around us, with over 20 local species (depending on how you count them). 

One beaut euc that can be fairly easily seen around the place is the Grey Ironbark, or Eucalyptus paniculata. This graceful large tree is the Illawarra's only ironbark, and is present on the coastal plain and escarpment slopes. 

Grey Ironbarks can be distinguished from other local eucalypts by their very tough, hard bark, which persists to the upper branches. And Grey Ironbark flowers are creamy-coloured, unlike some of the out-of-area ironbarks such as the Mugga Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), selectively cultivated for flowers that are pink or reddish. Some good places to see Grey Ironbark growing are Phil Adams Park in Corrimal (just east of the railway station) and Wiseman Park in Gwynneville. In both of these parks, which contain remnant Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland, Grey Ironbark is dominant in the canopy. 

Grey Ironbark is an absolutely outstanding habitat tree, with a wide range of birds enjoying the nectar produced by its flowers, insects munching on the leaves and insectivorous birds, such as the Spotted Pardalote, in turn eating those insects. Its branches make good places for birds to roost. Even the bark is good habitat, with its thick fissures and furrows, making homes for a multitude of insects, spiders and lizards.