Adapting to climate change, one street at a time
As the climate changes, things are warming up in our towns and cities. Incorporating vegetation like street trees is one way to maintain a more comfortable living environment. The search is on for native trees that will suit the urban environments within the Murraylands and Riverland region, from Renmark to the Coorong.
Many street trees in regional council areas are not native species and struggle to stay healthy in hot, dry and dusty environments. Their health may worsen as the climate warms and dries. Street trees, once established, should live for many years so it’s important that councils and developers select the right species that are water-wise and need low maintenance to keep them healthy.
The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board’s new project, Growing Regional Urban Biodiversity (GRUB), will work with regional councils to support greater capacity and interest in incorporating native vegetation species in urban plantings. Recently landscape board staff visited the Rural City of Murray Bridge (RCMB) council to learn about recent trial plantings.
The RCMB council is trialling native trees from drier regions across Australia to see how they perform in urban conditions. The GRUB project team met with RCMB council Senior Horticultural Officer Ian Millard and Treenet Director Tim Johnson to inspect native tree trials in Murray Bridge, a partnership between Treenet and the council. The first trial site in a street setting was established in 2023. Twelve Eucalyptus cajuputea (narrow-leaved peppermint box), usually found around Hawker in the Flinders Ranges, were planted and are doing very well. They have more than doubled in size and several were in flower and covered in ants enjoying the nectar and pollen. The trees will be watered for the first 2 years after planting, using green wells made from recycled plastic, and then will rely only on rainfall.
Tim explained that ‘the trials utilise underused native species to test their suitability and habit for urban areas, as well as increase people’s familiarity for a species that is not generally grown by nurseries. These trees were only planted last year so it’s hard to believe some of them are flowering already!’
The narrow-leaved peppermint box trees are thriving in this urban setting. While their ultimate size and spread is unknown, it is expected they will make a beautiful and long-lasting addition to the amenity, shade and biodiversity for this street. RCMB council are also contributing valuable trial data to a national database which includes photographs and species information to support other councils to consider similar species.
The second trial site is located at Wickens reserve, an open space area. Ten Acacia aneura or Mulga trees have been planted, which is possibly the first time this species has been grown in an urban setting. The trees, sourced from stock near Glendambo in the far north of South Australia, are about 3 years old. Mulga trees are native to Australia’s arid regions and are well-suited for hot, dry environments like Murray Bridge. Tim remarked that ‘the trees didn’t look that great when we first put them in, but they have done really well here’.
RCMB council is also trialling 4 subspecies of Eucalyptus camaldulensis – a weeping river red gum which a tree supply company gifted to council. These trees are also performing well and putting on superb growth in the open space setting.
Another tree being considered for urban planting is the round leaved mallee (Eucalyptus orbifolia) which is native to Western Australia. Seedlings have been grown by State Flora nursery in Murray Bridge and will be grown to a larger size by a Treenet partner in preparation for planting for a future council street tree trial.
What can I do?
If you live in an urban environment, you might like to consider growing native plants and trees in your garden too. Growing native plants make good sense as they are usually more tolerant of dry and hot conditions, provide some benefit to local wildlife, and are often low maintenance. The State Flora nursery in Murray Bridge is a good place to find out what might suit your garden space.
You can also get involved in local community planting days and volunteer with non for profit organisations that propagate native plants and trees. Subscribe to our citizen science e-newsletter for more upcoming opportunities.
