Sydney blue gum
A fast-growing Eucalyptus preferring 900 mm+ of rainfall annually and clay loam to sandy loam soils. Has been trialled within Gippsland and is generally regarded as inferior to the closely related southern mahogany.
Sydney blue gum |
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Botanical name |
Eucalyptus saligna |
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Growth rate in preferred conditions |
Fast |
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Estimated rotation length (yr) in preferred conditions to produce 60 cm diameter at breast height |
25-30 |
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Preferred annual rainfall (mm/yr) |
900+ |
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Minimum rainfall (mm/yr) |
750 |
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Preferred elevation (m) asl |
0-300 |
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Preferred landscape position |
Sheltered sites with deep soils |
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Preferred Soil |
Clay loam to sandy loam soils |
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Prohibitive soil |
Duplex, heavy clay subsoil and those poor drainage |
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Poor drainage tolerance |
Low |
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Dry site tolerance |
Moderate |
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Frost tolerance |
Low to moderate |
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Pest and disease problems: |
Leaf blister sawfly, lerps, longicorn beetle, corky leaf spot. |
Timber Characteristics1 |
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Strength: seasoned timber only |
SD3-moderate/high |
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Durability1: in ground | above ground |
3 | 2 |
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Drying: green to 12% moisture content |
Dries readily, but care needed to minimise checking and end splitting. Collapse is slight. Shrinkage about 5% radial and 9% tangential. |
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Main commercial products |
Panelling, furniture, joinery, veneers, sleepers, general construction, cladding, flooring, boat building and fencing. |
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Bushfire resistance2: measured by Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) |
BAL 12.5 and 19 – All AS3959 required applications |
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Least attractive features |
Can suffer from severe growth stresses causing end splitting during harvesting. |
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Most attractive features |
Good form, pink/red timber, responds well to irrigation |
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Status as a plantation species in Gippsland |
Has been trialled locally and is generally regarded as inferior to the closely related southern mahogany. |
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1 Based on Australian Standard: Timber Natural durability ratings. AS 5604-2005. Refer to Appendix for explanatory table. Where (?) applied, rating is based on field experience. 2 Naturally bushfire resisting timbers are those with inherent bushfire resisting properties. For more information refer to Australian Standard 3959:2018. |
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Assumptions and notes:
- Sites considered for planting contain at least 1 metre of soil above an impeding layer (e.g. bedrock or layer impenetrable to roots.)
- Please note that most (if not all) eucalypts in Gippsland grow best on sheltered sites.
- Overall slow drying time across air and kiln dried schedules is recommended to minimise drying degrade. This is the best starting point for inexperienced operators.
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Poole, B., Waugh, G. and Yang, J.L. (2017). Potential for growing and processing durable eucalypts in New Zealand. Publication No. SWP-T036. Solid Wood Innovation. Specialty Wood Products Research Partnership.
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Tepper, C. J. (2002). Plantation Eucalypt species for solid wood products – a profile of Eucalyptus muelleriana. Gottstein Fellowship Report for the Gottstein Memorial Trust
Tepper, C.J. (2008). Site Matching and Establishing Eucalypt Sawlog Species in Southern Australia In. Beadle, C.L. and Brown, A.G. (eds) 2008. Plantation Eucalypts for High Value Timber. RIRDC Publication No. 08/113, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra.