Eucalyptus crebra, also known as Narrow-leaved Ironbark or Red Ironbark, is a very dominant tree on our property. This Ironbark along with Spotted Gum, are the two most abundant Eucalyptus in my local area. Eucalyptus crebra really defines my area and as you pass into nearby suburbs it soon becomes less dominant or not present at all. When we first moved to Western Brisbane, Ironbark didn't rank highly in my tree appeal. Though over time I have really taken an interest in Ironbark and the many different species of Ironbark that exist. It's probably one of my favourite Eucalyptus species now but I really love them all for different reasons. Eucalyptus crebra like all Ironbarks, has deeply furrowed and dark coloured bark, so it's very easy to distinguish Ironbarks from other Eucalypts. However within the Ironbark species you need to look closer at the leaves and gum nuts to tell the species apart.
I really love that Eucalyptus crebra is covered in lichen. Ironbark doesn't shed its bark and the deep furrows provide habitat for lichen to grow, so it gains this lovely mottled appearance. No doubt this is why the Tawny Frogmouths love to roost in this tree, as they camouflage so well with it. The leaves are narrow and drooping and have a bluish grey green colour. As you can see in the photos, the canopy is fine and fairly open.
Eucalyptus crebra is the tree in the centre of the photo above. The dark coloured bark is very distinguished.
