Common Name: Fales Sandalwood

General Information

Eremophila mitchellii is a glabrous, often resinous plant that ranges in habit from a shrub with a few main stems to a small tree with a dense crown; it can grow up to 10 metres tall with fine flaky scaly bark[].
The plants are harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and for their essential oil, which is sometimes traded[]. When they grow large enough, the trees are harvested for their high quality timber.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland

Habitat

Usually grows in a variety of vegetation communities on sandy loam and clay loam soils[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	8.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eremophila mitchellii is native from the warm temperate zone of New South Wales to the most tropics of northern Queensland.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant has been used to smoke or steam patients in order to relieve rheumatic pain[].

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the wood. A pleasant, sweet odour that lasts well[]. The wood contains 3% of a dark, viscid oil[].

The brown, fragrant wood is very hard, durable, termite-resistant and beautifully grained[]. It is used for cabinet work, veneer, small fancy articles and carving[, ]. It is also often used as fencing posts[].
The wood makes an excellent fuel, producing an incense-like aroma when burnt[].

Propagation

Seed -