Gum trees dominate the dais at the end of our quest to find Australia's favourite native tree, as #teamfig is left to plan for next year.
Look back at what our experts thought as the vote unfolded.
Key events
- Here's which trees snagged the biggest percentage of votes
- THE RIVER RED GUM IS OUR WINNER!
- Taking out second place ... the snow gum!
- Coming in third ... the ghost gum!
- Taking out the fourth spot ... the Moreton Bay fig!
- Taking out fifth spot ... the mountain ash!
- Coming in at number six is ... the boab!
- Taking out the seventh spot is ... Karri
- Taking out the eighth spot ... the red flowering gum
- Coming in at ninth place ... the Illawarra flame tree!
- Coming in at tenth place... the golden wattle!
- And the polls are ... closed!
- Moreton Bay fig sees late surge in votes
- Shaun Micallef's mad as hell at the results of our tree poll
- Nas Campanella reveals her favourite native tree
- What native tree is Michael Rowland's favourite?
- Ita Buttrose reveals her favourite native tree
- Feeling stumped? Here are the remaining trees
Live updates
By Jessica Riga
We'll leaf things here
Thank you so much for joining us today as we crowned Australia's favourite native tree, as voted by you!
A huge thank you to my ABC Science colleagues Jonathan Webb and Kylie Andrews, and to our expert Tim Entwisle, the Director and Chief Executive of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, for joining us today.
A lot of you have been writing in to say you have a greater appreciation for native Australian trees now thanks to our count down, which is wonderful to hear!
Remember, you can catch up with Australia's Favourite Tree on iview.
Until next time!
By Jessica Riga
A word from the ABC Science team
What a magnificent result! The ABC science unit has been thrilled with the response to this project — thanks so much to all of you for getting involved.
As for the river red gum — it grows across so much of the country, it definitely had geography on its side. But such a worthy winner.
It twists and turns as it gathers water from deep underground, reaches for the sky and sends generous branches in improbable directions… And for millennia it's been a hardware, a pharmacy and much, much more for Indigenous Australians. Its fresh wood is a famously vibrant red, and the same chemicals make its smoke a natural antibiotic.
You may have dangled beneath a river red gum on a tyre swing, or hitched a boat to its trunk. Even in the absence of any visible moisture, you've probably seen it lighting up the country's hidden waterways in cool, shady green.
It wasn't my personal pick — I was for the paper bark and the ghost gum — but this is a result I'm very happy to endorse!
- Jonathan Webb, ABC Science editor
By Jessica Riga
The river red gum's journey to the top spot
Millie Ross, who is a judge on Australia's Favourite Tree, explains why the species has been chosen after three rounds of polling and more than 270,000 votes.
By Jessica Riga
Didn't the experts crown the mountain ash?
They sure did!
On the Catalyst program, Australia's Favourite Tree, the experts deemed the mountain ash a worthy winner.
Today, we announced the people's choice, as voted by you! And the river red gum now reigns supreme in our hearts.
By Jessica Riga
The cultural significance of the river red gums
River red gums have long held a special place in Australia's cultural history - from Harold Cazneaux's famous 1937 photo, Spirit Of Endurance, to its ongoing significance for traditional owners.
This excerpt about the river red gum is from the Australian documentary series, Catalyst – Australia's Favourite Tree. You can stream the program now on ABC iview here.
By Jessica Riga
Andrew Probyn weighs in on his favourite native tree
He's used to throwing the hard hitting questions at some of Australia's most powerful figures, but now we've grilled political editor Andrew Probyn on which native tree is his favourite.
And he's got two!
"I particularly love the banksia serrata, or old man banksia, because of its gnarly bark and its amazing cones," he told the ABC.
"If a tress can be beautiful in its unique ugliness, this one's it. I have one growing in my garden that I grew from a seed, after asking a lovely family in Mittagong if I could pinch one of their cones."
He also loves the Wollemi.
"I just love it because of its contrasts. It is newly-discovered yet one of Australia's most ancient.
"And like the banksia serrata it is also a bit odd, carrying both the female ball-shaped cones and also the long, dangly male bits.
"I have one growing in a pot… I might put it in the garden one day, but I think I'd miss its company!"
By Jessica Riga
Here's which trees snagged the biggest percentage of votes
It seems that some of you (along with Shaun Micallef) want transparency, which is fair! So here's the percentage of votes each tree got:
- 1.River red gum — 18.11%
- 2.Snow gum — 14.18%
- 3.Ghost gum — 12.61%
- 4.Moreton Bay fig — 12.57%
- 5.Mountain ash — 11.73%
- 6.Boab — 6.81%
- 7.Karri — 6.48%
- 8.Red flowering gum — 6.33%
- 9.Illawarra flame tree — 5.67%
- 10.Golden wattle — 5.51%
As you can see, there was barely anything in between the Moreton Bay fig and the ghost gum! Nail-biting stuff, I tell you.
But what is SUPER clear is that our beloved river red gum is the clear favourite with a huge lead.
By Jessica Riga
Robyn Williams reveals his favourite tree
Robyn Williams, host of ABC RN's The Science Show, has not one but THREE favourite trees.
"I love THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE: it gave me a job (which I've been doing for 50 years) and showed me what some regard as sin. But the tree knows better!
"Trees with cones to attract Black Cockatoos so I can watch them gambol in the canopies and then hurl the chewed feast to the ground as I look up.
"The vast eucalypt outside my small house Termite Towers in Sydney. It was there when we moved in growing fast – now it's three times taller, threatening the flightpaths of planes. The neighbours live in fear."
By Jessica Riga
And a word on the ghost gums
Isn’t this one stunning. I’m not surprised this is a popular tree, although I think it may have attracted a few votes from those who like similar looking ‘bloodwoods’, such as the Lemon Scented Gum. Still, whatever it takes! This is a bold tree from a beautiful location. Unforgettable.
- Tim Entwisle
By Jessica Riga
Snow gums 'a more than worthy runner up'
Definitely deserves being in the top two. For once, there is a tree higher up than the snow gum! In nature the Snow Gum grows closer to the top of Australia than any other tree species and deserves to wear the crown. Beautiful swirling bark, contoured by the wind and weather… A more than worthy runner up.
- Tim Entwisle
By Jessica Riga
'We'll be back'
We will be back in the mid terms.
- Snow Gum alliance
Camp snow gums and the Moreton Bay fig fans (myself included) are left to pick up the pieces.
By Jessica Riga
'Oh man, did I get invested': More thoughts from you
Happy tears for me... I have LOVED River Red Gums for as long as I can remember...their individual personalities, their rugged beauty, memories of climbing on their branches, and of course the amazing habitat they provide. Yay for the River Red Gum! - Wendy
Just saying, the Moreton Bay Fig won this - by a LOT! - Give Me a Home Among The Fig Trees
What a ride! Before this countdown started, I probably couldn't identify too many, but oh man, did I get invested!!! I'm now Team FRG. What a stunner! - Meg
My tree was the winner but they are all beautiful! Great fun way to celebrate trees well done ABC. Now let’s all now go out and plant more of them!! - Neil M
By Jessica Riga
More thoughts from you!
Nooooo, poor ol' Snow Gums - missing out to the stoopid, beautiful River Red Gums.... (LOVED this process so much ABC! We are going to run a workplace sweep next year!) - DotH
Our late father, Rod Dunstan would have absolutely LOVED this poll, trees were his great love (after our mum). Thank you so much, this has been so enjoyable! - Jessie Dunstan
This was fun! I enjoy these events. Having strong opinions on "odd" or "random" stuff is something I think is innate to us people. Plus, it helps spread awareness about trees. Trees are important! It got us talking about important stuff, in a fun context! Wonder if there'll be similar events in the future... Thanks for this. (I've not got strong opinions on the river red gum, #mountainash4ever, but it seems a solid tree. Congrats to those who were going for the river red gum.) - Eda
Any one of the ten could be number one. It’s been great to see that we are becoming more aware of the beauty and uniqueness of Aussie trees. - Damon M
Losing my top two choices (paperbark and e.caesia) to earlier cullings, I'm now a bit excited at the elevation of that most majestic of eucalypts, the river red gum. - Diana
I am thrilled with the results - the top three are so "our spirits". They are all beautiful and we must do all we can to heal our countries. - intouch
DID NOT SEE THAT AT ALL. Shocke! Congrats to the River Red Gum. It truly does represent the dry scorched earth of this continent. For it to win clearly it represent more than just a tree, it represnts a lands identity, an ancient culture and the fragility of our environment. Well done ABC! I look forward to the Moreton Bay Fig taking the crown next year. - Cario
The top three are perfect…hugging a gum as we speak👏🏻🤗 - Jazz
By Jessica Riga
Your response to that thrilling finish
Oh yes....the River Red Gum. So Australian. My all time favourite. Brilliant - Clare
Spewing about my figgy Boi losing out on top 3, but elated for the River Red Gum. Quality Tree! - Gutted but happy
Thanks ABC for helping to educate Aussies about our magnificent trees and the animals and birds that they support. Sad about the majestic mountain ash coming in fifth but at least it came first in the experts votes. It also showed the gorgeous greater glider that many Aussies wouldn't have known about - Annie
Nooooo😭not my mate Snow! Ah well the penultimate Australian tree! - Persey
The Snow Gum is the most beautiful tree in Australia! It should have won. - Wendy
did not expect thinking about trees would make me so emotional 😭 they're so beautiful and awe inspiring!!! what a privilege it is to live in this world!! 🌳🌴🌲 - Give me a home among the gum trees
By Jessica Riga
'The perfect Aussie tree'
Just wow. The River Red Gum was one of two finalists we chose for the ABC Catalyst special, and sits very comfortably alongside that show’s winner, the mighty Mountain Ash. It’s the perfect Australian tree. No two trees are the same, and each has its own personality. I love the way the twisted limbs, the gnarly hollows and dead wood, and all the scars and broken branches, reflect a tough life but one well lived. We can each have our own River Red Gum, but together celebrate them as our country’s favourite tree species.
- Tim Entwisle
Well said, Tim!
We'll come back to you in just a moment for a word on the trees which came second, third and fourth.
But for now, let's turn to our audience! What do you make of the results??
By Jessica Riga
THE RIVER RED GUM IS OUR WINNER!
And the crowd goes wild.
By Jessica Riga
So that just means...
Do we all know what this means ...?
By Jessica Riga
Taking out second place ... the snow gum!
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL.
ARE WE ALL OKAY?
By Jessica Riga
Coming in third ... the ghost gum!
WOW. Just wow.
