Eucalyptus resinifera
Sm.
Myrtaceae
Eucalyptus hemilampra F.Muell.
Melaleuca gummifera Steud.
Common Name: Red Mahogany
General Information
Eucalyptus resinifera is an evergreen tree with a compact crown; it can grow up to 45 metres tall. The straight bole, which can have a diameter of 100 - 150cm, is often unbranched for up to 30 metres[
].
One of the best Australian hardwoods[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
], the tree is sometimes gathered from the wild as a local food, and is also utilized for its timber. It is planted in many tropical to warm tropical countries as a timber crop[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
365- Title
- Flora of New South Wales
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
,
Range
Eastern Australia - northern New South Wales, Queensland.
Habitat
Wet or dry sclerophyll forest on deeper soils of medium to high fertility[
365- Title
- Flora of New South Wales
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Other Uses Rating | |
Habit | Evergreen Tree |
Height | 35.00 m |
Growth Rate | Fast |
Pollinators | Bees, Insects |
Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Eucalyptus resinifera is a plant of the moist tropics to the subtropics and warm temperate zones, where it is found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 16 - 34°c, but can tolerate 6 - 38°c[
]. It can be killed by temperatures of -4°c or lower, though new growth can be damaged by temperatures around zero[
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 800 - 3,000mm[
].
Requires a sunny position, though young trees can tolerate some shade[
]. Succeeds in most soils, so long as they are well-drained[
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 6.5, tolerating 5.5 - 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[
].
Trees can be coppiced[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
Annual wood production potential is 5 - 20 cubic metres per hectarea[
].
Whilst most Eucalyptus species, grown in small numbers outside their native range, can be an attractive and useful addition to the landscape, certain species (including this one) are more problematic. When grown in monocultures, especially outside their native range, they can become an environmental disaster. They are voracious, especially in their use of water; they are allelopathic, inhibiting the growth of the native flora; they reduce habitats for native fauna; and encourage the worst possible attitudes to land use and conservation[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
A sweet drink is made from the sap[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
A manna is obtained from the tree[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
Medicinal
A kino resin is obtained from the trunk. It is astringent[
601- Title
- The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Maiden J.H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Turner & Co.; London.
- Year
- 1889
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Kino is taken internally as an effective treatment for dysentery, working because it is not absorbed at all from the stomach and only very slowly from the intestine, and is thus able to directly treat the lower part of the intestine[
1096- Title
- Native Tastes of Australia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://tasteaustralia.biz/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A website with detailed information on around 50 species of native Australian food plants, including recipes.
].
The inner bark has been rubbed onto the skin in the treatment of venereal disease[
1096- Title
- Native Tastes of Australia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://tasteaustralia.biz/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A website with detailed information on around 50 species of native Australian food plants, including recipes.
].
Agroforestry Uses:
The flowers are a good source of nectar and pollen for bees[
,
1661- Title
- Flora of South-eastern Queensland (3 volumes)
- Publication
- Queensland Department of Primary Industries; Miscellaneous Publication 81020
- Author
- Stanley T.D. & Ross E.M.
- Publisher
- Queensland Government; Queensland
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-7242-2127-1
- Description
-
].
Other Uses
Kino (a red substance resembling resin) is obtained from the tree[
601- Title
- The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Maiden J.H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Turner & Co.; London.
- Year
- 1889
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Rich in tannins, it is readily soluble in water producing a clear solution[
601- Title
- The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Maiden J.H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Turner & Co.; London.
- Year
- 1889
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. It can be used as an astringent in medicine and for tanning.
The bark is a source of tannins[
601- Title
- The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Maiden J.H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Turner & Co.; London.
- Year
- 1889
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
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 up to 0.7% essential oil. The main components include pinene, 1,8-cineole (around 72& in some forms), [
1659- Title
- Eucalyptus Leaf Oils: Use, Chemistry, Distillation and Marketing
- Publication
- Phytochemistry June 1992
- Author
- Southwell I.A.
- Website
- https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(92)80403-2
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An extensive list of Eucalyptus species and their essential oil content.
].
The heartwood is dark red; the sapwood pale pink. The wood is moderately coarse-textured; the grain somewhat interlocked. The wood is strong, tough, hard and durable in the soil. It is easy to work and finishes well. Much prized for its strength and durability, it is considered to be one of the best Australian hardwoods and is used for piles, flooring, cladding, panelling, sills, bridge decking, boat building, railway sleepers and general construction purposes[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
].
The wood is used for fuel and for making charcoal[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow in a sunny position and make sure the compost is not allowed to dry out[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
78- Title
- Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sheat. W. G.
- Publisher
- MacMillan and Co
- Year
- 1948
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
,
134- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. 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[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
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