The farm
About 80,000 trees and shrubs in our carbon project
We've planted about 80,000 native trees and shrubs in our carbon project, run by Permagen, across about half the farm, on a 6 x 6 metre grid, with the trees planted a little closer along the rows to allow for losses. Planted for carbon, for the bees, and to give shelter and shade to the animals that will one day graze the grass underneath them.
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Our trees and shrubs
Together with Permagen (opens in a new tab) , who run the carbon project, about 80,000 mostly local native trees and shrubs have been planted on Fonthill Farm, across about half the farm.
Once the trees and shrubs are established, our livestock will graze the grass beneath them and use the trees for shelter and shade. They never eat the carbon trees.
They aren't planted like a plantation. They're laid out in a permaculture system, in among the meadow, so the land keeps working as a farm while the growing trees draw carbon down and store it. Best of all, we got to choose the species ourselves.
Planted for the bees Before pigs, William was a commercial beekeeper, so many of the trees and shrubs here were picked for their nectar and pollen. The forage calendar, species notes and our apiary plans are on the Bees page.
Visit the Bees page
What we planted
These are the 19 species planted in our carbon project, as listed by Permagen.
Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon × Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon A tough, long-lived wattle of wet and dry forests across Tasmania. In silvopasture it gives shade, wind shelter and nitrogen-rich leaf litter, and a pale flush of spring blossom for insects.
Size Typically 8–30 m tall in Tasmania (occasionally taller in deep gullies); open-grown spread often about 5–8 m. Can stay shrubbier on exposed or poorer sites. Tolerances Frost hardy (to about −7 °C once established; severe frost can still check growth). Good in windbreaks. Better than most eucalypts on seasonally wet ground, though best growth is on well-drained fertile soils. Moderate drought tolerance, prefers moisture. Not a primary salt/coastal specialist. Light Full sun to dappled or light shade. Water Moist, well-drained soils preferred. Tolerates poorly drained sites better than many companions. Water young plantings through the first summers; established trees dislike prolonged drought. Flowering Tasmania: late August to early October. How long it flowers About 6–8 weeks in spring (Tasmania). How often Annual spring flush; some years heavier (mass flowering) than others. May flower from about five years of age. Sources: Private Forests Tasmania, Blackwood; Understorey Network Tasmania, Acacia melanoxylon; Forestry Tasmania Technical Bulletin 10, Blackwood; ANBG Growing Acacia, A. melanoxylon; ACT Design Standards fact sheet, Acacia melanoxylon
Black Sheoak Allocasuarina littoralis × Black Sheoak Allocasuarina littoralis A small, upright sheoak of dry forests and woodlands in eastern Tasmania, with fine, dark green, needle-like branchlets. It fixes its own nitrogen, so it helps build up poor, stony ground, and its dense crown gives stock shelter from wind. Male trees carry rusty-brown flower spikes and female trees carry small woody cones.
Size Usually about 4–10 m tall, with a narrow to rounded crown. Tolerances Frost hardy and drought tolerant once established. Copes with shallow, rocky and low-fertility soils. Light Full sun to light shade. Water Prefers well-drained soils. Dislikes waterlogging. Water young plants through their first dry summers. Flowering Mainly autumn to spring. How long it flowers Several weeks; male trees can look rusty-brown when in full flower. How often Annual. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. Sources: Understorey Network Tasmania, Allocasuarina littoralis; Atlas of Living Australia, Allocasuarina littoralis
Drooping Sheoak Allocasuarina verticillata × Drooping Sheoak Allocasuarina verticillata A hardy, weeping sheoak of dry hills and coastal slopes, with long drooping branchlets and large, barrel-shaped woody cones. It fixes nitrogen, holds steep and rocky ground, and its soft, swaying crown makes a good windbreak.
Size Usually about 4–10 m tall, with a spreading, weeping crown. Tolerances Very drought tolerant and frost hardy. Handles exposed, windy sites, shallow soils and some salt-laden coastal wind. Light Full sun. Water Well-drained soils. Dislikes waterlogging. Once established it needs little water. Flowering Mainly autumn to spring. How long it flowers Several weeks; male trees turn rusty-brown in full flower. How often Annual. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. Sources: Understorey Network Tasmania, Allocasuarina verticillata; Atlas of Living Australia, Allocasuarina verticillata
Silver Banksia / Honeysuckle Banksia Banksia marginata × Silver Banksia / Honeysuckle Banksia Banksia marginata One of Tasmania’s most familiar banksias, silvery leaf undersides, honey-yellow candle spikes, and a long nectar season for honeyeaters, insects and small mammals. Habit ranges from low shrubs to small trees.
Size Highly variable: shrub forms often about 2 m high and wide; tree forms up to about 9 m (Parks Tasmania). Tolerances Frost-tolerant (choose highland provenance for colder hollows). Handles exposed, windy sites. Drought-resistant once established. Prefers well-drained soil but can tolerate moist and even waterlogged sites. Coastal forms useful near salt spray, match provenance. Light Sunny to partly shady; becomes spindly in deep shade. Water Adapted to winter-wet / summer-dry patterns. Water to establish; thereafter tolerant of dry spells if roots are down. Flowering Tasmania: ClimateWatch summarises September–April; Parks Tasmania highlights spring to early summer. Broader SE Australia (ANBG): mainly February–July, with flowers possible year-round. How long it flowers Long season, often several months; flowering window varies by form and site. How often Can flower through much of the year depending on form and site; spikes produced in repeated pulses rather than a single short flush. Note Parks Tasmania leads with Silver banksia; ANBG lists Silver Banksia / Honeysuckle. Sources: Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania, Silver banksia; ANBG Growing Native Plants, Banksia marginata; ClimateWatch, Silver Banksia; Habitat Plants Tasmania, Plants for bees; SA Flora / Flora of Australia common-name notes
Prickly Box Bursaria spinosa × Prickly Box Bursaria spinosa A spiny shrub or small tree that foams with sweet cream flowers in summer. In Tasmania it is prized by beekeepers as dependable summer nectar and pollen, and by wildlife as dense, protective cover.
Size Typically 3–8 m (Private Forests Tasmania); often 2–6 m, occasionally to about 10 m. Shrubby forms commonly 2–3 m spread. Tolerances Frost hardy when mature; young plants may be susceptible. Tolerates wind; useful in shelterbelts. Drought-tolerant once established on dry, well-drained sites. Dislikes very poorly drained ground. Light Full sun to light or partial shade. Water Well-drained to dry soils. Water to establish; thereafter low water needs on suitable sites. Flowering Southern Australia / Tasmania: mainly December–February/March. How long it flowers About 8–12 weeks through mid-summer. How often Heavy annual summer flowering (Christmas flush). More dependable year-to-year than leatherwood as a honey flow in Tasmania. Note Also called Christmas Bush in parts of Tasmania. Sources: Private Forests Tasmania, Prickly Box; ANBG Growing Native Plants, Bursaria spinosa; ANPSA plant profile, Bursaria spinosa; Victorian grasslands / Ecolinc, Sweet Bursaria; HoneyHQ prickly-box bee notes (beekeeper summary, cross-checked with PFT)
Black Peppermint Eucalyptus amygdalina × Black Peppermint Eucalyptus amygdalina The peppermint of dry forests and rocky hills, narrow scented leaves, rough bark, and clusters of cream blossom in late spring. A hardy canopy tree for poorer, drier ground in eastern Tasmania.
Size Often 15–20 m; mallee-like to about 5 m on hard sites, or taller trees to about 30 m. Tolerances Frost hardy. Drought-tolerant on dry, poor, rocky and acidic soils. Handles exposed sites. Not a swamp species, prefers well-drained ground. Light Full sun. Water Low once established. Water young trees through establishment only. Flowering Tasmania: mainly November–January (Understorey Network); late-spring peak in distribution studies. How long it flowers About 2–3 months. How often Seasonal annual flowering in late spring / early summer; crop heaviness varies with season. Note Tasmanian endemic. Sources: Private Forests Tasmania, Black Peppermint; Understorey Network Tasmania, eucalypts list; Williams & Potts, natural distribution of Eucalyptus in Tasmania; EUCLID, Eucalyptus amygdalina
Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus × Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus Tall, smooth-barked eucalypt with big creamy flowers and a famous blue-green juvenile flush. Critical nectar tree for the endangered swift parrot, and a heavy nectar producer that also draws bees and honeyeaters.
Size Commonly 30–60 m on good sites. Large crown; not a garden-scale tree. Tolerances Frost hardiness is provenance-dependent; seedlings are frost-susceptible even from cold provenances. Best in sheltered valleys with reasonable moisture and good drainage. Can shed limbs, allow space. Prefers well-drained soils. Light Full sun. Water Best with reliable moisture and good drainage. Water young plantings; mature trees are deep-rooted. Flowering Tasmania: concentrated September–December. How long it flowers About 3–4 months, peaking spring to early summer. How often Fairly regular early-summer flowering most years; intensity varies between seasons. Note Tasmania’s floral emblem; subsp. globulus in Tasmania. Sources: Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania, Blue gum; Private Forests Tasmania, Tasmanian Blue Gum; ANBG floral emblem description, Eucalyptus globulus; Hingston, A.B., pollination ecology of Eucalyptus globulus (UTAS thesis); Williams & Potts flowering summary
Messmate Stringybark Eucalyptus obliqua × Messmate Stringybark Eucalyptus obliqua Tasmania's classic stringybark, named for its lopsided leaf bases, with thick, fibrous bark from the base of the trunk to the branches. A long-lived shade and shelter tree for the higher, wetter ground, and a summer source of blossom for insects.
Size Commonly 20–40 m tall on farm sites, and much taller in deep, wet forest. Tolerances Moderately frost hardy. Handles a wide range of soils, including poorer hill country. Less suited to very dry or waterlogged ground. Light Full sun. Water Moist, well-drained soils. Water young trees through their first summers. Flowering Mainly summer to early autumn. How long it flowers Several weeks. How often Heavy in some years and light in others, like most eucalypts. Sources: Private Forests Tasmania, Eucalyptus obliqua; Atlas of Living Australia, Eucalyptus obliqua
Black Gum / Swamp Gum Eucalyptus ovata × Black Gum / Swamp Gum Eucalyptus ovata A medium eucalypt of swampy flats and open woodland, cream flowers in the cooler months, and an important backup nectar tree for swift parrots when blue gum flowering is poor.
Size Usually a medium tree to about 17–30 m; lignotuberous forms can be shorter on hard sites. Tolerances Strong waterlogging tolerance, poorly drained, seasonally waterlogged or periodically inundated ground. Hardy to moderate frost (seedlings can still be damaged). Less suited to prolonged dry ridges than peppermints. Light Full sun to open woodland light. Water Naturally a wet-feet species. Keep moist; do not plant on drought-prone rises expecting swamp-gum performance. Flowering Tasmania: mainly late winter to late spring; literature often cites about June–February with peak August–November. Local timing can shift. How long it flowers About 3–5 months in the main Tasmanian window. How often Seasonal cool-season / spring flowering; year-to-year abundance varies. Note APS Tasmania often leads with Black gum; both names are correct. Sources: APS Tasmania, Eucalyptus ovata; Atlas of Living Australia / flora treatments; EPBC conservation advice, Tas ovata / brookeriana forests; Swift parrot foraging references (Threatened Species Link / UTAS)
Snow Gum Eucalyptus pauciflora × Snow Gum Eucalyptus pauciflora A tough, often crooked gum of cold, high country, with smooth, streaky bark and thick, leathery leaves with near-parallel veins. It is one of the most frost hardy eucalypts, so it suits frost hollows and cold slopes where other gums struggle, giving shade and shelter in the coldest spots.
Size Usually about 6–20 m tall, often with a short, twisted trunk and a spreading crown. Tolerances Very frost and cold hardy. Tolerates exposed, windy sites and seasonally wet, cold soils. Moderately drought tolerant. Light Full sun. Water Moist to seasonally wet soils. Water young trees through their first dry summers. Flowering Mainly late spring to summer. How long it flowers Several weeks. How often Heavy in some years and light in others, like most eucalypts. Sources: Understorey Network Tasmania, Eucalyptus pauciflora; Atlas of Living Australia, Eucalyptus pauciflora
Swamp Gum / Mountain Ash Eucalyptus regnans × Swamp Gum / Mountain Ash Eucalyptus regnans The world’s tallest flowering plant, a wet-forest giant with a shaft-like trunk and high white blossom. Needs shelter, fertility and rainfall; will not thrive on frosty swamp flats.
Size Typically 70–100+ m in old wet forest. Farm and plantation trees are far shorter in early decades but still destined to be very large. Tolerances Frost tender (especially seedlings), not for harsh frost hollows. Needs well-drained, moderately fertile, high-rainfall sheltered sites. Poor drought tolerance. Prefers sheltered valleys. Light Full sun once above the understorey; regenerates after disturbance in high light. Water High, reliable rainfall or soil moisture. Not a dry-east speciality without irrigation and careful siting. Flowering Tasmania: mainly March–May (autumn), with records from late summer into early winter at some elevations. How long it flowers About 2–3 months. How often Seasonal annual flowering with variable intensity; heavy seed crops on a multi-year cycle (about every four years noted by PFT). Sources: Private Forests Tasmania, Mountain Ash; Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania, Giant ash; EUCLID, Eucalyptus regnans; Pollinators of Eucalyptus regnans (Australian Journal of Botany); Frost-resistance ecology literature for E. regnans
Swamp Peppermint Eucalyptus rodwayi × Swamp Peppermint Eucalyptus rodwayi A compact-crowned eucalypt of grassy frost hollows and swamp margins, one of the toughest canopy choices for cold, wet feet on the plateau and inland flats.
Size Tree to about 20 m; smaller on the hardest sites. Tolerances Hardy to heavy frost. Tolerates waterlogged soils for extended periods. Handles exposed sites. Less suited to dry ridgelines than dry-forest peppermints. Light Full sun / open woodland. Water Naturally moist to wet soils. Flowering Recorded December–March (EUCLID cites January, February, March and December). How long it flowers About 3–4 months in summer–early autumn. How often Seasonal summer–early autumn flowering; mast years not tightly documented in sources checked. Note Tasmanian endemic. Traditional common name, not a true peppermint eucalypt botanically. Sources: Private Forests Tasmania, Swamp Peppermint; EUCLID, Eucalyptus rodwayi; APS Tasmania flora note; Central Tasmania waterlogging and frost response papers
Silvertop Eucalyptus sieberi × Silvertop Eucalyptus sieberi A tall gum of dry forests on poor, stony and sandy soils, with deeply furrowed dark bark low on the trunk and smooth, silvery upper branches. Native to north-east Tasmania, it is well matched to the drier, poorer ridges, and gives shelter and blossom where little else grows well.
Size Commonly 15–30 m tall. Tolerances Drought tolerant and suited to low-fertility, well-drained soils. Moderately frost hardy. Light Full sun. Water Well-drained soils. Dislikes waterlogging. Water young trees through their first summers. Flowering Mainly spring to early summer. How long it flowers Several weeks. How often Heavy in some years and light in others, like most eucalypts. Sources: Atlas of Living Australia, Eucalyptus sieberi; Private Forests Tasmania, eucalypt species notes
White Gum / Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis × White Gum / Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis A tall ribbon-gum of rivers and better soils, white blossom, manna exudate, and hollows for birds and mammals as trees age. Good high shelter in mixed windbreaks, and a known honeyeater tree.
Size Tall tree, commonly to about 50–70 m on good sites. Large spread with age. Tolerances Frost hardy; tolerates snow. Some flooding tolerance (riparian form). Drought tolerance depends on provenance. Useful high-level shelter once established. Light Full sun; Private Forests Tasmania also notes some shade tolerance. Water Prefers moist, well-drained alluvial soils near watercourses; also on drier higher sites depending on form. Water to establish. Flowering Mainly summer to autumn in SE Australia / Tasmania; revegetation guides commonly give January–May, especially February–March. How long it flowers About 2–4 months; not every year is heavy. How often Does not always flower prolifically, expect seasonal flowering with quieter years. Note Private Forests Tasmania leads with White Gum; Manna Gum is the widely used wildlife/forage name. Sources: Private Forests Tasmania, White Gum; ANBG / APS profiles; SE Australian revegetation guides, Eucalyptus viminalis; NSW State forests beekeeper melliferous-flora survey (context for bee value)
Woolly Tea-tree Leptospermum lanigerum × Woolly Tea-tree Leptospermum lanigerum A dense, hardy tea-tree of wet ground and windy edges, soft woolly foliage and open five-petal flowers that feed bees and nectar birds. The pink nursery form brings ornamental colour without leaving the local species.
Size Typically a tall shrub 3–6 m; can be smaller or, in some mountain forms, much taller. Spread often similar to height when unpruned. Tolerances Frost hardy (nursery sources often cite to about −7 °C). Strong on poorly drained and waterlogged sites; short-term inundation tolerated (seedlings have limits if fully submerged for many weeks). Handles wind and exposure. Happier with moisture than long drought. Light Full sun to shade; best flowering in good light. Water Moderate to high, moist to wet soils. Ideal for soaks, drainage lines and lower silvo belts. Flowering Tasmania / SE Australia: mainly spring to early summer, roughly September–January. How long it flowers About 3–5 months (local calendars vary). How often Prolific seasonal flowering; heavy blossom in a good spring. Note Site tile shows ornamental pink form (‘Woolly Pink’). Wild-type flowers are usually creamy-white. Sources: Understorey Network Tasmania database, Leptospermum lanigerum; CANBR Leptospermum pages; Yarra Ranges local plant directory; Flooding-tolerance study (Australian Journal of Botany); Tas native nursery listings for ‘Woolly Pink’
Bracelet Honey Myrtle Melaleuca armillaris Native to Tasmania's far north-east coast × Bracelet Honey Myrtle Melaleuca armillaris A fast, fine-leaved honey myrtle that loads its stems with bottlebrush rings of blossom. Pink forms are popular in cultivation and suit an ornamental myrtle screen.
Size Shrub to small tree commonly 3–6 m high (PlantNET to 5 m; some nursery sheets to about 8 m), spread often 2–4 m. Tolerances Moderately to very frost hardy once established; young growth can burn in hard frosts. Good salt-spray tolerance. Common screen and windbreak plant. Adaptable once established; prefers reasonable moisture when young. Handles a range of soils. Light Full sun for best flowering; tolerates a range of aspects. Water Average farm moisture to establish; thereafter fairly tough. Water young screens in dry summers. Flowering PlantNET: summer. Broader cultivation notes often September–December, sometimes into February (SE Australia / cultivation). How long it flowers About 3–5 months spring–summer in cultivation notes. How often Heavy seasonal flowering on new wood; reliable ornamental display most years in cultivation. Note Site tile shows soft pink ornamental / local pink form. Wild-type flowers usually white, rarely pink (PlantNET). Sources: PlantNET, Melaleuca armillaris; Atlas of Living Australia; Australian Plants Society profiles; Council and nursery cultivation sheets; Primal Pastures farm pink-form photo reference
Swamp Paperbark Melaleuca ericifolia × Swamp Paperbark Melaleuca ericifolia Papery bark, fine heath-like leaves, and cream bottlebrush tips in spring, a suckering wetland shrub that knits wet edges and feeds bees and birds when the swamp margins flower.
Size Tall shrub or small tree commonly 3–9 m (sources range about 2–12 m), often spreading by suckers into a dense thicket several metres wide. Tolerances Frost tolerant. Excellent waterlogging tolerance, moist, poorly drained or permanently wet soils. Common on northern, northeast and some western Tasmanian coastal and estuarine ground. Not strong on hard drought once soils dry. Light Full sun to light shade. Water High / wet, plant where water sits or seepage persists. Flowering Tasmania: spring (roughly September–November). How long it flowers About 2–3 months, with local extension possible. How often Seasonal spring flowering; stands can flower densely along wetland edges. Sources: Understorey Network Tasmania, Melaleuca ericifolia; APS Tasmania; UTAS dicot key notes; Yarra Ranges / City of Melbourne planting guides
Showy Honey Myrtle Melaleuca nesophila Native to Western Australia × Showy Honey Myrtle Melaleuca nesophila A rounded evergreen shrub famous for mauve-to-pink pom-pom flowers that fade through several shades on the bush at once. Tough, salty-wind tolerant, and a cheerful nectar stop for bees and honeyeaters.
Size About 3–5 m high by 2–4 m wide (ANBG about 5 × 4 m). Dwarf cultivars stay lower, farm tiles show the standard shrub form. Tolerances Frost to about −7 °C (ANBG, Canberra performance). Salt-laden winds OK. Drought-tolerant once established. Prefers well-drained soils; adaptable. Light Full sun for densest foliage and best flowering; still acceptable in part shade. Water Low to moderate after establishment; water to settle in. Avoid chronically waterlogged heavy clay if possible. Flowering Late spring through summer (cultivation / southern Australia), typically about October/November–February. How long it flowers About 3–5 months. How often Long spring–summer display most years in cultivation; flowers age through colour stages so the shrub looks multi-toned. Note Native to southwest Western Australia; widely cultivated in SE Australia and Tasmania. Tile shows natural pink–magenta / mauve range. Sources: ANBG Growing Native Plants, Melaleuca nesophila; ANPSA plant profile, Melaleuca nesophila; Horticultural frost and salt notes
Lemon Bottlebrush Melaleuca pallida Also known as Callistemon pallidus × Lemon Bottlebrush Melaleuca pallida A hardy Tasmanian-range bottlebrush with clear lemon brushes against grey-green leaves. Frost-tough, wet-or-dry adaptable, and a reliable bird-and-bee shrub for screens and silvo edges.
Size Typically 2–4 m high by 2–3 m wide (APS Tasmania; ANBG about 3 × 2 m). Habitat Plants Tasmania notes about 2–5 × 1–3 m. Tolerances Very frost hardy. Adaptable to wet spells and dry spells once established. Withstands wind; moderate salt-laden wind exposure (ANBG). Light Full sun to partial shade; full sun for best flowering. Water Moist situations preferred but adaptable; water to establish, then moderate. Flowering Spring and summer, ANBG (as Callistemon pallidus) gives September–January; APS Tasmania spring–summer. How long it flowers About 4–5 months. How often Profuse seasonal brushes; responds to light pruning with denser flowering wood. Note Synonym Callistemon pallidus. Primary tile is lemon/yellow; lilac and ‘Father Christmas’ forms held unless William asks. Sources: ANBG Growing Native Plants, Callistemon pallidus / Melaleuca pallida; APS Tasmania, Melaleuca pallida; Habitat Plants Tasmania, Plants for bees; Wild Seed Tasmania melaleuca notes
See it from the air
Permagen's video on their website shows the northern part of our farm.
Permagen introduction Video: Permagen
