Dried gumnuts are commonly used as ornamental decorations in Australia, as they come in a huge variety of different shapes and sizes. They were made famous when Australian writer and illustrator May Gibbs (who was born in England) wrote about two adorable gumnut babies, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie as the main characters of her books. The eucalyptus trees which produce these gumnuts inhabit forests which are incredibly flammable. They constantly drop dry leaves and peeled bark onto the floor around them, and together with the eucalyptus oil within, can quickly turn a small fire into a fast moving and raging inferno. Every summer Australia battles bushfires to some degree, but however devastating these fires are for the animals and people living in those areas, the trees are actually adapted to be the most successful survivors. The release of seeds from the gumnuts are triggered by fire, and they fall onto the nutrient-rich ash covered ground, free from competing plants and damaging insects. They will quickly repopulate the forests, and continue to be the dominating species of the Aussie bush. Happy weekend everyone!
Click here to see my other post on Eucalyptus Flowers.
Laura Lecce's art and photography 
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie 😄 My niece who lives in Australia is going to like these names👌😍
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I’m sure she will, they are very cute!
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Very intersting, and very pretty.
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Thank you, and welcome to my blog. I see you like to use pastels in your artworks, they’re gorgeous and I look forward to exploring your blog further!
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They’re like the phoenix’s of the plant kingdom! This was a really enjoyable post. 🙂
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Thanks so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it. What a creative way to think about them, I love your comment!
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An interesting post. Lovely photo, Laura! 🙂
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Thank you Iris, have a lovely week.
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Interestingly informative.
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Thank you Akeem, and welcome to my blog 🙂
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The pleasure is mine. Your site is beautiful.
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Interesting post again, I remember collecting gumnuts when I was a kid for my mum who was a teacher to use in arts and crafts projects. Its nice to learn a little more about them.
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I remember doing that as well, I guess lots of art and crafts in Australian schools used gumnuts as decorations 🙂
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I guess the trend crossed international boundaries =), I went to school In Kenya but I’m guessing the gumnuts were introduced from Australia like a lot of the other Eucalyptus species there.
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Must have! They have introduced Eucalyptus trees in quite a few different countries, either for ornamental or industry purposes. Its one of the reasons California also suffers huge bushfires…Australians brought eucalyptus trees to California.
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