Common Name: Belah

General Information

Belah is an evergreen tree that can grow from 5 - 20 metres tall. The bole can be 50 - 100cm in diameter[].
The plant is gathered from the wild for its tannin and timber.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia.

Habitat

Drier areas[], usually on heavier soils and avoiding ridges[]. Usually found in clayey grey or brown soils with calcareous nodules near the surface[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant mainly of the warm temperate and subtropical zones, though it does just reach into the tropics. It is found at elevations up to 800 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 24 - 34°c, but can tolerate 8 - 40°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -5°c or lower, but young growth can be badly damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 600mm, but tolerates 400 - 700mm[].
Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun[]. A report for Australian gardens says that it prefers growing in dry areas but also thrives in very wet soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 8, tolerating 6 - 8.5[].
A fast growing tree[].
The plant produces suckers from the roots and often forms dense groves which can be all of one clone[, ].
Unlike most members of this genus, this plant does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[].
This species is dioecious - both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bark is rich in tannin[].

The heartwood is reddish-brown, fissile and very dense; the sapwood is wide and creamy coloured[]. The wood is very hard, not durable, takes a good polish. It is used mainly for turnery, furniture and fencing[, , ].
The wood makes a good fuel[, , ].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter to early summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[, ].

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