Forest red gum / Queensland blue gum
Eucalyptus tereticornis
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Grow habitat
Plant a future for wild koalas
Planting suitable native food and shelter trees can expand koala habitat, reconnect fragmented bushland and give future generations safer places to feed, rest and move.
South East Queensland
Important local food and habitat trees
These eucalypts and closely related native trees appear in South East Queensland koala habitat guidance. There is no single favourite tree across all of Queensland—koala preferences and suitable plantings vary with location, soil, rainfall and the natural vegetation community.
Right tree. Right place.
Choose locally native species suited to your property. A local native nursery, council conservation officer or Land for Wildlife adviser can help with species selection and local-provenance plants.
Sydney blue gum
Eucalyptus saligna
Tallowwood
Eucalyptus microcorys
Flooded gum / rose gum
Eucalyptus grandis
Spotted gum
Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata
Pink bloodwood
Corymbia intermedia
Gum-topped box
Eucalyptus moluccana
Small-fruited grey gum
Eucalyptus propinqua
Red mahogany / red stringybark
Eucalyptus resinifera
Swamp mahogany
Eucalyptus robusta
Narrow-leaved red gum
Eucalyptus seeana
Queensland grey gum
Eucalyptus major
Scribbly gum
Eucalyptus racemosa
Narrow-leaved ironbark
Eucalyptus crebra
Blackbutt
Eucalyptus pilularis
Queensland brush box
Lophostemon confertus
Broad-leaved paperbark
Melaleuca quinquenervia
Plant for connection
One tree helps. A connected corridor helps even more.
Where possible, add trees beside existing native vegetation or between habitat patches. Connected plantings help koalas move through the landscape with less time on the ground.
- Use species that naturally occur in your local area.
- Plant a mix of food and shelter trees rather than a single species.
- Allow enough room for the mature height and canopy.
- Keep large trees clear of buildings, powerlines and underground services.
- Protect young trees from stock and maintain them through dry periods.
- Keep dogs contained, especially at night, as koalas move between trees.