Messy but beautiful: bunya pine with deadly cones shortlisted for Tree of Year
A bunya pine in Maldon is a finalist for Victoria's Tree of the Year; it drops cones weighing 5 to 7 kilograms.
Kathy Whiteman's bunya pine in the front yard of her Maldon home has made the shortlist for Victoria's Tree of the Year award. The tree is beautiful but dangerous: it fruits every three years and drops massive cones that can weigh as much as 7 kilograms.
When fruiting season arrives, Whiteman wires her front gate shut and avoids going underneath because a falling cone could kill someone. "It's a messy plant, but it's beautiful," she says.
The tree is such a local landmark that she tells visitors, "When you see the big tree, that's my house." Nine finalists are in this year's National Trust contest.
Voting opened today and runs for one month, with the winner announced in late October. The National Trust hopes the competition raises awareness that old trees need protection and care.
- Kathy Whiteman
- Owner
- Maldon
- Location
- 5 to 7 kilograms
- Cone weight
- 9
- Finalists in competition
Why it mattersGiant urban trees take over a century to grow and can never be replaced. Once they are gone, they are gone for good, so protecting them matters for future generations.
AustraliaVictorian public can vote on which heritage trees deserve protection; the winner gets a platform for conservation awareness.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 d ago
