Gumnuts - Eucalypts as 'Widow Makers'

Eucalypts as 'Widow Makers'

4 July 2008 9:22 PM

"People are usually wary of eucalypts dropping branches, hence common name of 'Widow Maker'. Are you able to comment, myth or not ? Are there some species, (ie the smaller size species) which are less likely to drop branches".

The above is from an email message that ASGAP received recently. And here's how I replied....

No, I don't think its a myth. There's no doubt that some eucalypts do drop dead branches from time to time and this can happen even if there is no strong winds blowing. In my experience the branches that drop aren't especially large but even a 75-100 mm diameter branch can cause injury when it drops from 10 or 15 metres from the ground.

However, I'm not convinced that its purely restricted to eucalypts. It seems to me that any tall forest tree is going to do the same thing - that's how they form those tall trunks with no lower branches.

The smaller growing species are certainly less likely to drop branches but, unfortunately, I'm not aware of any data that lists species most likely to cause problems. It might be worth contacting the State Forestry authority as they might be better placed to comment.

* * * * * *

Does anyone want to comment on this? Is there any data that points to specific trees being more prone to drop branches than others?

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widow makers or yowie marking sticks?

Comment posted by Anonymous at 10:07 PM, 12 August 2008
I have always called these widow makers, but I have recently been working with a cryptozoooligist, who thinks these are yowie marking sticks. Don't get me wrong I am a huge skeptic but it is strange how deep they embed into the ground, how they vary from small to big sticks, and how they group together. What are your thoughts?

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Re: Yowie Marking Sticks

Comment posted by asgap at 8:17 AM, 13 August 2008

I wonder if Rex (Yowie Man) Gilroy knows about this......

http://www.theaustralianyowieresearchcenter.com/

Cheers

Brian

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