Common Name: Grey Box

General Information

Eucalyptus moluccana is an evergreen tree with a dense, much-branched crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The bole is usually straight and cylindrical, often more than 50% the total height of the tree and 60 - 120cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood and is also sometimes cultivated.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - Queensland, New South Wales

Habitat

Open woodland, often forming pure stands, usually near the coast and usually on heavy soils, often slightly saline; at elevations up to 500 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus moluccana has a very wide latitudinal range, being found at elevations up to 500 metres from the tropical regions of northern Queensland southwards to the warm temperate zone of New South Wales. With such a range the climate can be very varied, but summers are generaly hot, with the mean maximum temperature of the hottest month up to 35 °c; whilst the mean minimum temperature of the coldest month can be as low as 5 °c. Frosts are rare in the north, with up to 15 a year further south. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. Mean annual rainfall can range from 500 - 1,000mm, falling mainly in the summer in some areas and all year round in others. There can be a dry season of up to 4 months[].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of heavy to medium-textured, well-drained soils of moderate fertility[]. Found mainly on heavy soils in the wild[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[].
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[].
A valuable tree for planting if a box-type wood is required. The latitudinal range of occurrence of more than 20° would make provenance testing desirable[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

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

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 contain around 0.4 - 0.9% essential oil. The main components include 1,8-cineole (up to 80%), cymene, cryptone, phellandral, cuminal and spathulenol[].

The light brown wood has a fine uniform texture and generally interlocked grain. It is very hard, strong, with a density of 960 - 1,200 kilos per cubic metre, very durable and termite-resistant. It is widely used for poles and piles, railway sleepers and structural purposes. It is fairly hard to work, but is suitable for heavy engineering construction[, , ].
The wood is a very good fuel[]. One of the best Eucalypt fuels[].

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[]. 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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