The Australian Mulga Tree

By Brooke Tullipan & Jess Filby

The mulga tree is a long-lived member of the acacia family, native to Australia. These hardy trees can be used as landscape trees in dry, hot climates where other trees would have difficulty thriving. They have a number of adaptations that have allowed them to survive in difficult desert climates, as well as making them a valued addition to an arid landscape

The counting of growth rings on felled trees has revealed a number of 150-240 rings in stems of only 25cm diameter. In their lifetime these trees would have experienced a number of drought years when no growth rings developed and therefore grew older in years than the exact number of growth rings indicated.

Toxins

The mulga tree has a number of medicinal uses, but when it comes to defending itself against animals searching for food in the barren desert landscape, the mulga has a defense system that helps it keep from becoming lunch. The leaves of the tree have an extremely high protein content. When they are ingested by animals, there is a chemical reaction in the animal's stomach that can kill if enough of the leaves are eaten. In order to be prepared for human consumption, the leaves, bark or tannin is usually prepared by boiling to break it down first.

Root Systems

The mulga tree has a central tap root that can reach up to 7 feet into the ground. This tap root absorbs much of the water that the branches direct into the tree's core. The tree also has a complex system of other roots that reach well beyond the limits of the tree branches. By the time a young mulga is 4 inches tall, it can have a root system that extends up to 10 feet from its base. This allows the tree to absorb rain water that falls to the ground outside of the tree's reach that would otherwise be wasted. The roots also contain bacteria that can break soil nutrients down to their base components, including nitrogen. This means that the tree can survive in the most nutrient-poor of soils.

The Numbat

Interesting Facts

The Australian Mulga Tree is a bushy shrub to small tree. It is now recognized as a complex group of species with local variations or types, some of these are now recognized as separate species. The Mulga is common in the far west of NSW and arid inland areas of all mainland states except Victoria

Adaptations

Stripes help the numbat to camouflage in its bushland habitat

Acute sense of smell

This type of plant is a species with a long life and it also contains valuable wood for a variety of purposes. In favorable conditions young plants will grow at a rate of 1 meter every 10 years until the tree reaches its maximum of 10 meters.

Long, sticky tongue to collect termites

Sharp claws for digging into termite mounds

By Jess. F

• Also known as the Banded Anteater
• One of the few marsupials that are diurnal (active during the day)
• Although they are marsupial they do not have a pouch, instead the young cling to the mothers fur
• Found in Western Australia and is the symbol of Western Australia

Mulga Tree & The Numbat

Reduced rainfall or drought conditions will slow down this process or bring it to a temporary halt, which means that the mature tree will be more than 100 years old