Zone 17 consists of fertile clay to clay loam soils with basalt rock usually present. It includes hills plains and stony rises that are mostly poorly drained. The average rainfall is 45 - 55 centimetres.
This area was once predominantly an open woodland community that also included treeless grasslands and occasional shrubs. Dominant tree species including the Buloke and Drooping Sheoke grew alongside other species such as Grey Box and Red Box on better drained slopes and crests.
On the wetter areas Blackwood River Red Gum and Yellow Box trees were found. Tree and shrub species such as the Black Wattle Sweet Bursaria and Silver Banksia formed most of the middle storey.
Smaller species included Shrub Violet Kangaroo Apple and Common Everlasting.
Sadly many species of shrubs that occurred in this area are no longer found. Some of these species are the Silver Banksia and Varnish Wattle.
| Tree species | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common name | Botanical name | Size (height by width in metres) | 1 | 2 | ||
| Lightwood | Acacia implexa | 5-15 | 4-7 | Y | - | |
| Black Wattle | Acacia mearnsii | 8-25 | 6-10 | X | Y | |
| Blackwood | Acacia melanoxylon | 5-30 | 4-15 | - | Y | |
| Golden Wattle | Acacia pycnantha | 3-10 | 2-5 | Y | - | |
| Buloke | Allocasuarina luehmannii | 5-15 | 5-10 | Y | - | |
| Drooping Sheoke | Allocasuarina verticillata | 4-11 | 3-6 | Y | - | |
| River Red Gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | 15-35 | 15-35 | - | Y | |
| Yellow Gum | Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp connata | 10-20 | 6-20 | - | YU | |
| Yellow Box | Eucalyptus melliodora | 10-30 | 8-25 | - | X | |
| Grey Box | Eucalyptus microcarpa | 10-25 | 10-15 | YU | - | |
| Red Box | Eucalyptus polyanthemos | 7-25 | 5-15 | YU | - | |
| Shrub species | ||||||
| Hedge Wattle | Acacia paradoxa | 2-4 | 2-5 | Y | X | |
| Varnish Wattle | Acacia verniciflua | 3-5 | 3-5 | X | X | |
| Silver Banksia | Banksia marginata | 1-10 | 1-5 | X | X | |
| Sweet Bursaria | Bursaria spinosa var macrophylla | 2-6 | 2-3 | Y | X | |
| Turkey Bush | Eremophila deserti | 1-4 | 2 | X | X | |
| Shrub Violet | Hymenanthera dentata | 2-4 | 1-2.5 | YS | X | |
| Leafless Bluebush | Maireana aphylla | 1 | 1 | YUA | - | |
| Tangled Lignum | Muehlenbeckia florulenta | 2 | 2 | X | - | |
| Kangaroo Apple | Solanum laciniatum | 1-3 | 1-3 | X | X | |
| Groundcover and tussock species | ||||||
| Red-leg Grass | Bothriochloa macra | 0.2 | 0.8 | Y | - | |
| Wallaby Grass | Danthonia species | 0.2 | 0.4-1 | Y | Y | |
| Common Everlasting | Chrysocephalum apiculatum | 0.3 | 1-2 | Y | - | |
| Tussock Grass | Poa labillardieri | 0.8 | 0.8 | - | Y | |
| Spear Grass | Stipa species | 0.3 | 1-2 | Y | Y | |
| Kangaroo Grass | Themeda triandra | 0.3 | 0.3 | Y | - | |
| A - atypical | ||||||
| S - stony rises | ||||||
| U - uncommon | ||||||
| X - species once occurred in this area | ||||||
| Y - species is present in areas of remnant vegetation | ||||||
1=Well drained slopes / crests; 2=Wetter areas
Local Indigenous Nurseries
- Greybox and Grasslands Indigenous Nursery: 03 5369 5221
Further Contacts
- City of Greater Geelong Environment Unit: 03 5272 4785
- Department of Environment Land Water and Planning: 136 186
- Geelong Field Naturalists Club Inc
- Geelong Landcare Network
- Corangamite Catchment Management Authority: 03 5232 9100
Acknowledgements: David Perry DSE and Mark Trengove
This information sheet is also available in PDF format.