Large burl caused by insect or disease Greetings fellow Foxies,
I frequently see misshapen wandoos with several stems arising from stumps that had been logged decades ago to make fence posts and sheep yards.
Our trees are seasoned survivors, which have adapted to poor soils, insects and inclement weather
A trees is basically a layer of living tissue (sapwood) around a dead wooden core. When the heartwood in a living tree rots and is eaten by termites, nutrients tied up in the wood are released for the tree to reuse. Resulting holes provide hiding places and nest sites for the wildlife.
Occasionally one sees amazing trees like the wandoo in this blog, which was sculpted by an unidentified insect
I frequently see misshapen wandoos with several stems arising from stumps that had been logged decades ago to make fence posts and sheep yards.
Our trees are seasoned survivors, which have adapted to poor soils, insects and inclement weather
A trees is basically a layer of living tissue (sapwood) around a dead wooden core. When the heartwood in a living tree rots and is eaten by termites, nutrients tied up in the wood are released for the tree to reuse. Resulting holes provide hiding places and nest sites for the wildlife.
Occasionally one sees amazing trees like the wandoo in this blog, which was sculpted by an unidentified insect
 Bark remnants after sapwood insect damage |  Foxes Lair bunyip |  Candy Block walking wandoo |
Eucalypts are amazingly tough, having evolved to survive in our infertile soils. Compared to trees in other countries, they often have a tiny taproot and extensive lateral roots. This makes them vulnerable to being blown over, but enable them to often survive and grow as a tree with vertical branches rising from a vertical stem.
 shallow roots on overturned brown mallet |  Horizontal brown mallet end view |  Horizontal brown mallet side view |