Figtree - Environment

The natural vegetation of Figtree has greatly changed since European settlement of the district in 1815. Eugene von Guerard vividly described the area when painting 'Cabbage-tree Forest, American Creek, New South Wales' in 1867 -

'This sylvan scene is situated at a distance of little more than ten miles from Wollongong, near the junction of a little stream … Brandy Water creek, with the American Creek, and at the foot of a noble range of mountains. With the lofty bangalow palm, the cabbage tree palm, the gigantic wild fig-tree, and the fire tree (otherwise known as the blaze tree) with its vividly scarlet blossoms, are intermingled the nettle tree, the rose-wood tree, the sassafras, the white-wood, the wild rose, numerous varieties of the fern tree and parasites innumerable; the whole being tightly woven together into one dense and almost impenetrable mass of foliage. Unfortunately the progress of settlement is necessitating the destruction of some of these magnificent forests which in many instances clothe a rich chocolate soil of especial value to the farmer…' (Guerard, E. von, 1866-68)

Today most of the tall forests have been cleared, initially for small farms, and later for residential areas that now occupy most of Figtree. The remaining pockets of vegetation and fauna will be described briefly below.

Closed Forest (Rainforest)

An example is found on the lower slopes bounding American Creek. The common rainforest trees include

Backhousia myrtifolia
Red Ash (Alphitonia excelsia)
Red Cedar (Toona ciliata)
Pittosporum undulatum
Cheesetree (Glochidion ferdinandi)
Whalebone Tree (Streblus brunoniuanus)
Flintwood (Scolopia braunii)

Blue Gum Tall Open Forest

This community occurs on moist slopes generally face south and east and contains species such as

Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna)
Coast White Box (Eucalyptus quadrangulata)
Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculate)
Maiden's Wattle (Accacia maidenii)
Accacia binervata

Red Gum Open Forest

This community occurs on the drier slopes and ridges merging with the Blue Gum Forest with the following characteristic species.

Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis)
Pink-tips (Callistemon salignus)
Prickly-leaved Paperbark (Maleleuca styphelioides)
Native Cherry (exocarpuos cupressiformis)
Black She-oak (Allocasuarina)
Wattles

Coral Tree Stands

This community is dominated by exotic plants.

Coral Tree (Erythrina x sykesii)
Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis)
Wandering Jew (Tradescantia albiflora)
Crofton Weed (Ageratina adenophora)
Lantana camara

Exotic Grassland

This community covers much of the area particularly on the flood plains. The main species are

Kikuyu Grass (Pennisetum clandestinum)
Rhodes Grass (Chloris gayana)
Carpet Grass (Axonopus affinis)
Paspalum dilatatum
Of the many introduced plants to the area many have become problem weeds such as Thorny Poinciana, Lantana, Blackberry, Crofton Weed, Willow and Coral Tree.

Fauna

Below is a small sample of the native fauna identified in a 1993 survey of the area.

Mammals

Platypus
Common Brushtail Possum
Sugar Glider
Swamp Wallaby
Grey-headed Flying Fox

Birds

Brown Thornbill
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Whipbird
Lewin's Honeyeater
Pied Currawong
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Rufus Fantail
Silvereye
Spotted Pardalote
White-browed Scrubwren
Yellow-tail Black Cockatoo

Reptiles

Eastern Water Dragon
Eastern Water Skink
Grass Skink

Amphibians

Common Eastern Foglet
Brown-striped Frog
Lesueur's Tree Frog

(Local environmental study, Figtree, 1993)