Corymbia calophylla
Location: Near women’s Tee on the 18th hole
| Other locations on course: | In the panels between the 11th, 13th and 14th Fairways. |
| Distribution: | Southwest of Western Australia from north of Geraldton to Albany and east beyond Narrogin. |
| Height: | to 40 metres. |
| Uses: | The timber has unusual vein structure and is honey coloured. It has largely replaced jarrah as furniture and flooring timber. |
The common name ‘marri’ is from the Noongar word for ‘blood’.
The species is readily recognised by blood red sap exudates.
‘Corymbia’ comes from the Latin ‘corymb’ for ‘bunch’ and refers to the floral and fruiting arrangement. ‘Calophylla’ comes from ‘calo’ meaning ‘beautiful’ and ‘phyllon’ meaning ‘a leaf’. Recent studies have shown the marri is closely related to the Western Australian red flowering gum, Corymbia ficifolia. Both species are examples of ‘blood woods’.
The nuts beneath them are large and carry rather large seeds that provide an important food source for some species of parrots, including cockatoos. The nuts are commonly called “honkey nuts” in Western Australia; a corruption of hockey nuts.
“If a tree dies, plant another in its place”. (Carolus Linnaeus)