Common Name: Queensland Peppermint

General Information

Eucalyptus exserta is an evergreen tree with an attractive crown; it can grow 15 - 25 metres tall. The bole is usually straight and can be more than half the total height of the tree, it can be up to 100cm in diameter. In dry environments the tree is often small and of a poor form, even reduced to a shrub[, ].
The tree is a source of essential oils and is also harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. In spite of the wide area of natural occurrence the wood is in limited supply[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - Queensland, northern New South Wales

Habitat

Coastal lowlands, hill slopes, gentle undulated country and on low stony rises, usually on infertile soils; at elevations up to 900 metres[, ].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus exserta is native to the tropical and subtropical climate of eastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 400 metres. Summers are hot and wet, with mild ,drier winters and a dry season of 2 - 3 months. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 450 - 1,100mm; mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 35°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is 5°c, and there are generally few frosts[].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a wide range of well-drained soils of moderate fertility[]. Found in the wild in many soil types[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5[].
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[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are a good source of nectar and pollen for bees[].

Other Uses

The leaves are distilled for essential oil and yield 0.7%[].
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 contain around 0.8 - 1.2% essential oil. The main components include 1,8-cineole (up to 74% in some forms), pinene, globulol[].

The pale pinkish brown wood is heavy, hard and durable, somewhat brittle, with a close, interlocked grain. Used locally for general construction, particularly house framing, and in the round or split for farm fencing material[, ].

Propagation

Seed - 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[]. Seeds germinate in 4 - 20 days with a germination rate of 50 - 60%[]. 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[].
Vegetative propagation is possible from branch cuttings taken from trees less than 2 years old. Best results are obtained from cuttings containing a stem node and a segment of a leaf. Hormones such as indole-acetic acid, indole-butyric acid or nephthalene acid will improve the success rate[].

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