Phoenix tree

This big old Blue Gum is near Bromley Park ruin. It looks like it almost died after growing very large, probably over 100 years old. But it is not dead, it managed to spring back to life by growing new branches seemingly on its skeleton. Just after I took this photo a farmer pulled up on his motorbike and we had a chat. He thinks that gum trees like this were killed or almost killed by mistletoe. Makes sense because on some old gum skeletons you can see the skeleton of the mistletoe. The parasite dies with the host it kills. Seems like a dumb plan by mother nature.