I can recognise many trees… oak, ash, sycamore, silver birch, beech, hawthorn, yew, cherry, poplar, elm, plane, cedar, pine, holly, willow. I know their leaves and seeds… acorns, helicopters, pine cones and conkers.

I am learning about trees common in Tasmania and can now identify laurel and myrtle, bottlebrush and banksia, wattle and sassafras, huon pine and blackwood. The purchase of a book and a fold out, “all weather” guide has helped.

But I have been struggling with the varieties of gum trees. The native eucalyptus trees.

And then, back in spring, I had a light bulb moment whilst out on my daily walk. I had walked past these beautiful gum trees for months.

They were flowering. When looking up, I noticed the pale cream flowers hanging from blue capsules. Looking down, I saw capsules on the ground. I collected some and googled them when I got home.

I had inadvertently identified the floral emblem of Tasmania. Eucalyptus Globulus. The Tasmanian Blue Gum.

As the flowering gums are so pretty right now, I am setting myself a challenge to learn to identify the local gum trees. I’ll add this to my “52 in 52” list and let you know how I get on.