Common Name: Cape York Red Gum

General Information

Eucalyptus brassiana is an evergreen tree growing up to 30 metres tall, though only 7 - 15 metres on infertile sites. The bole is straight and can be unbranched for around half the total tree height[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild and also cultivated for its wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australasia - southern New Guinea, northern Queensland

Habitat

Found on a range of sites from rocky slopes over undulating country to seasonally inundated flats and depressions; at elevations up to 560 metres. In cultivation it grows well on the margin of rice fields[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus brassiana is native to the tropical climate of northeasterm Australia and New Guinea. Summers are hot and moist, whilst winters are mild. There is usually a dry season of 2 - 3 months. The mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,000 - 1,500mm; mean maximum of the hottest month is 30°c; mean minimum of the coldest month is 10°c, and there are generally no frosts[].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of soils of low to moderate fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7[]. Plants are tolerant of seasonal inundation of the soil[].
The plant develops a lignotuber - this is a woody tuber that starts to develop near the base of seedlings and can become massive in the mature plants of some species. It possesses embedded vegetative buds, allowing the plant to regenerate following crown destruction, for example by fire[].
This is a newly separated red gum from the low latitudes of northern Queensland and Papua New Guinea. It should be treated like a low-latitude provenance of Eucalyptus tereticornis and tried in low latitude countries wishing to grow eucalypts[].
In Bangladesh it grows well on the margin of rice fields[].
It is mentioned as a possible agroforestry species[]
Yearly production of wood potential is about 20 - 25 m3/ha[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the leaves. Total quantity of the oil, and its composition, can vary widely from plant to plant, but we have reports that the fresh leaves around 0.5 - 0.7% essential oil. The main components include pinene, 1,8-cineole and citronellal[].

The wood: has an interlocked grain; it is strong and durable[].

Propagation

Seed - no pre-treatment is required[]. Surface sow in a sunny position and make sure the compost is not allowed to dry out[, , ]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[]. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as the second set of seed leaves has developed, if left longer than this they might not move well. The seedlings are ready for planting in the field when they are 25 - 30 cm tall, usually after 3 - 4 months.
The seed has a long viability[].

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