Often seen along creek lines, the river red gum grows up to 12 metres high in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

This iconic tree has pale yellow flowers, large stalked gumnuts and bark that varies in colour from white to grey to brownish-red.

Its large canopy offers much-needed protection from the heat while its hollows provide homes for many birds and animals.

Culture

The river red gum has many traditional uses for Anangu.

The tree’s wood is used to make bowls to carry food and water. Its resin can be mixed with water to make an antiseptic solution, while its burnt bark is traditionally combined with animal fat to create an ointment for burns.

Anangu eat river red gum seeds as well as edible grubs that live under the bark. The leaves sometimes develop a white scale that can be rolled up and eaten like a lolly. In a good season, the flowers also produce a delicious honey.