As a coastal windbreak its hard to look past the Dongara Mallee (Eucalyptus obtusiflora) for planting in alkaline sands around Geraldton. These low growing gums (3m x 3m) are often bushy to the ground (although they grow larger in the northern wheatbelt) . They can be easily under pruned to create a canopy. Mallee means multi-trunked trees, hence they provide a wide coverage in a windbreak. This white summer flowering species copes well with the strong winds that our Batavia Coast is famous for.
Read more on our local Gums, including the Dongara Mallee in Malcolm French’s fantastic book ‘Eucalypts of Western Australia’s Wheatbelt‘. Photo in this post from Malcolm French’s book.