Sydney peppermint

What are Sydney peppermints?

The Sydney peppermint is a eucalypt tree species native to central and southern New South Wales.

Sydney peppermints can be easily distinguished from other eucalypt trees by their dark coloured fibrous bark and smooth pale branches. Long ribbons of bark hang from the branches.

The leaves of the Sydney peppermint emit a strong peppermint aroma. When blossoming, Sydney peppermints produce clusters of bright yellow-green flowers. Sydney peppermints grow to around 20 metres tall.

The scientific name for the Sydney peppermint is  Eucalyptus piperita.  Piperita  is the Latin word for pepper-like, referring to the peppermint aroma of the leaves. The Sydney peppermint is not actually a type of peppermint.

The distinctive ‘ribbons’ of bark that can be found on the lower branches of a Sydney peppermint

Where are Sydney peppermints found?

Sydney peppermint trees can be found in eucalypt forests and woodlands. They grow in moderately fertile soil.

Sydney peppermints tend to grow on the cooler sides of valleys and ridges.

Sydney peppermint is a very common tree species in the woodlands of the Field of Mars Reserve.

What eats Sydney peppermints?

The flowers of the Sydney peppermint attract many nectar-feeding animals such as  flying foxes, birds and gliders.

What is the role of Sydney peppermints in the ecosystem?

Mature Sydney peppermints are especially important as they provide critical habitat in the form of tree hollows and hollow logs. Hollows are used as shelter by a range of native mammals such as  possums, and birds such as  owls  and parrots.

Sydney peppermint trees also provide food for nectar feeders and nesting and roosting sites for a variety of birds.

It takes around 100 years for hollows to form in the trunk or branches of Sydney peppermint trees. A hollow will form on the right truck where a branch has died and fallen off.

What adaptations do Sydney peppermints have to their environment?

Sydney peppermint trees are a type of sclerophyll plant, meaning they are well adapted to growing in dry conditions. They have hard waxy leaves which reduce water loss.

Mature leaves hang vertically in the heat of the day which limits their exposure to direct sunlight and reduces the amount of water lost due to heat.

Canopy of a Sydney peppermint tree. Leaves hang vertically in the heat of the day exposing only their edge to the sun.

Sydney peppermints have evolved ‘tough’ features to survive bushfires. The fruits are hard, woody capsules to protect the seeds inside it during a fire. Their thick bark protects the trunk of the tree from getting burned, protecting special buds on the trunk and branches so that they can sprout immediately after fire. These special back up buds are called epicormic buds.

At the base of the trunk under the soil are lignotubers which are swollen food storages that provide the tree with enough energy to grow back after fire. New shoots grow from the lignotuber.

How do Sydney peppermints reproduce and what is their life cycle?

Sydney peppermints produce flowers from late spring to mid summer. These flowers attract pollinators such as native bees, birds and mammals which pollinate flowers as they feed on their nectar or pollen.

When pollinated, the flowers of the Sydney peppermint turn into woody urn-shaped fruit. The fruits of eucalypt trees are commonly called ‘gum nuts’.

The gum nuts contain seeds which are released and dispersed by the wind before landing in the soil to germinate into a seedling.

Sydney peppermints can live for well over 100 years.

Sydney peppermint gum nuts are round, woody and contain numerous small seeds.

Eucalypt forest digital book

Find out more

Written by teachers, Eucalypt Forest is an exciting digital book which explores the beautiful natural environment of the Australian eucalyptus forest.

Learn about the interactions between plants and animals in the forest and how people can interact with and care for these special natural areas.

Containing a suite of interactive activities, videos and beautiful images, this book will encourage you to go out and explore your local eucalypt forest.

Download free from Apple Books