'Messy but beautiful' tree among nine vying for Victoria's annual gong
One regional Victorian shire is home to two finalists in this year's Victorian Tree of the Year competition.
The 2026 National Trust Victorian Tree of the Year competition features nine finalists, including a bunya pine owned by Kathy Whiteman. Ms Whiteman describes her tree as a landmark in her street and notes that it fruits every three years, dropping large cones that can weigh between 5 and 7 kilograms. She has to secure her front gate and avoid walking beneath the tree during the fruiting season due to the risk of injury from falling cones.
The bunya pine is one of two finalists from the same shire, alongside an Indian Bean Tree at Castlemaine Botanical Gardens. Voting for the competition opens today and will run for one month, with the winner to be announced in late October. The National Trust Victoria aims to raise awareness about the importance of protecting these trees, which have required careful maintenance over their lifetimes.
Other finalists include a gingko tree in Geelong, a myrtle beech in Apollo Bay, and a Canary Island pine in Ballarat, among others.
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