Mallee

Mallee refers to a growth form of certain eucalypt species characterized by a multi-stemmed habit arising from a lignotuber. Plants classified as mallee are usually shrubs or small trees, typically 2–9 meters tall, though some forms may reach taller heights in favorable sites. The lower trunk commonly bears rough, persistent bark, while the upper stems are smoother. Leaves are often small and leathery, and the canopy tends to be dense enough to form a low woodland or scrubland.

The term mallee is used both botanically for the growth form and ecologically for the associated vegetation type—mallee woodlands or mallee scrub—found across southern Australia. Mallee habitats occur in semi-arid to arid regions of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and parts of New South Wales, often on shallow or nutrient-poor soils, with low and variable rainfall.

Adaptation to fire is a defining feature: the lignotuber allows resprouting after disturbance, and many species regenerate after fire in the post-disturbance environment. Fire regimes, rainfall patterns, and soil conditions shape species composition and structure, producing a mosaic of mallee stands, closed scrub, and sparse woodland.

Conservation and use: mallee ecosystems support diverse flora and fauna, including specialized birds and mammals. Much mallee country has been cleared for agriculture or degraded by grazing, and remaining stands are the focus of restoration and protection efforts. The term mallee is widely used in Australian forestry and ecological literature, with etymology likely rooted in an Aboriginal language, though the precise origin is uncertain.