Feature Stories

The Turning of the Fagus

In autumn each year, visitors to Tasmania's famous highland national parks are treated to one of the most wonderful displays to be found in Nature. For a few weeks, during the turning of the fagus, the summer colour of bright green gives way to beautiful shades of yellow, gold and even red, often bathing entire hillsides in colours that compliment the subtle, pastel mountain light of autumn.

Deciduous beech, or fagus, (Nothofagus gunni), is Australia's only native winter deciduous plant. It is found nowhere else on Earth except for the mountains of Tasmania. A close relative of myrtle beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii) - the towering tree that dominates Tasmania's cool temperate rainforests - the more diminutive fagus is confined to the less hospitable, highland areas of Tasmania above 800 metres where rainfall exceeds 1800mm per year. Fagus generally grows to less than two metres in height and may live for over 350 years.

Following its autumnal display, the plants' rust-coloured leaves fall to carpet the ground around it, returning precious minerals to the soil which will feed the next spring growth.

Such loss of leaves is a good defence against the long, dark winter frosts and snow and is very common in trees such as oaks and maples native to the northern hemisphere. Throughout Australia, other groups of plants, including eucalypts, survive the winter cold by other methods, such as developing the small, waxy leaves which are common in snow gums and other alpine plants.

Fagus stands alone as our sole representative of the deciduous adaptation to the cold winter months.

Where can I see fagus?
Less than 10 000 hectares of fagus grow in Tasmania, much of it in the remote central western highlands. However, the are many spectacular stands that are accessible by either car or by an easy walk along one of Tasmania's well defined and boardwalked walking tracks.

Perhaps the most easily seen and accessible from Hobart is around Lake Fenton in Mt Field National Park, where there is an observation area. As you drive towards the ski-fields up the Lake Dobson road, you pass through a particularly rocky section, where masses of boulders seem to pour down the steep slopes. Among these boulders are patches of fagus, some easily seen from your vehicle.

In the north of the State, some of the best fagus is found around Cradle Mountain. The Loop Track, which circles Dove Lake, is an easy 2 hour walk that passes through some patches of fagus. The even easier Weindorfers Forest Walk also offers easily accessible fagus, including trees that are much taller than the more usual stunted alpine form.

One of the most spectacular displays of fagus is found around Crater Lake. Although this is a couple of hours return walk from the Dove Lake carpark, the sight of the steep slopes of the cup-shaped lake covered in brilliantly coloured fagus, makes it well worth the effort.

With any trip to see the turning of the fagus, be sure you take suitable clothing and, when walking, fill in the walker log books.

When does the fagus turn?
Two weeks either side of ANZAC Day (26 April) is generally the best time to see the fagus. Usually colouring has started by the end of April and continues for a month or so, but the actual time of fagus colouring varies from year to year and place to place. It is best to phone the particular national park before you visit. See our Parks and Wildlife Service Office contact pages for details.

How can I ensure it's protection?
A key factor in the survival of fagus is absence of fire. Unlike many Australian plants communities such as our heathlands and eucalypts forests, fagus is very slow to grow back after fire and in some circumstances may never recover from burning. Indeed, Tasmania's alpine plant communities and conifer forests are destroyed by fire. These plant communities are largely protected within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, which is, understandably, a fuel stove only area.

Fagus-spotters and other visitors to delicate highland areas can help protect their habitat by following Leave No Trace principles - a set of guidelines that help minimise our impact on the places we visit. With such a relatively small distribution, we can never be too careful about protecting this botanical marvel.

For full details about this remarkable plant, see our web pages on Fagus - Tasmania's Botanical Wonder.