TREE DETAILS
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Common Name : |
Moodjar, W.A. Christmas Bush, |
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Scientific Name : |
Nuytsia floribunda |
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Circumference : |
4.30 metres (169 inches) |
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Height : |
10.00 metres (32 feet) |
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Crown : |
10.00 metres (32 feet) |
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Points : |
210 |
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State : |
WA |
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Town : |
Gelorup |
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Access : |
Public |
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Location : |
Bunbury Outer Ring Rd Reserve |
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Nominator : |
Dennis Jetta & Friends of the Gelorup Corridor |
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Year Measured : |
2019 |
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Age : |
400 |
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Type : |
Native Forest |
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Comments : |
This tree is very old; many large upper branches have broken off and are bare, however the tree is still alive and well, as can be seen by the foliage still on other parts of the tree. Moodjars are hemi-parasitic, and as such, this would be the world’s largest and probably oldest mistletoe. This specimen is amongst a very large stand of hundreds of moojars, woody pears, tuarts, marris, jarrahs, peppermint trees, banksias and ‘snottygobble’ trees The Moodjar is a very sacred tree for the Indigenous people of WA. The traditional belief is that the spirits of recently deceased ancestors are absorbed by the roots and in summer, when the trees ‘light up’ with a spectacular dense display of bright orange flowers, the spirits are released to travel west across the ocean to the land of their ancestors. As the temporary resting places of recently deceased, these trees are treated with great reverence by Indigenous people. |
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