Common Name: Manna Gum

General Information

Eucalyptus viminalis is an evergreen tree with a large, open crown; it usually grows up to 50 metres tall, but exceptional specimens to 90 metres have been recorded. The bole is up to 120cm in diameter, exceptionally to 150cm[].
The tree is commonly harvested from the wild for its wood, which is a widely used timber in Australia. It also has local uses as a food, medicine and source of various materials. In tropical Africa it is known to be planted for timber in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Mauritius. It is widely planted in South Africa[]. Eucalyptus viminalis is planted as an ornamental and shade tree[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Australia - southeastern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania.

Habitat

Cool moist sites, usually on better soils, at elevations up to 1,400 metres[, ]. Widespread and abundant, in grassy woodland or forest on fertile loamy soils in New South Wales[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus viminalis is found in the temperate to subtropical zones of eastern Australia, but has succeeded when planted at higher elevations up to 3,400 metres in the Tropics. It is grown in areas with a mean annual rainfall of 500 - 2,500mm; a dry season of 0 - 5 months; a mean annual temperature of 10 - 18°c; a mean maximum temperature of the warmest month of 16 - 32°c; and a mean minimum temperature of the coldest month of 0 - 8°c[]. A fairly hardy species, one report suggests that it is hardy to between -15°c and -20°c[] whilst another says that plants succumb to hard frosts[].
Prefers a sunny position in a moderately fertile well-drained moisture retentive circum-neutral soil[]. Tolerates poor soils, especially those low in mineral elements[]. It grows best in valley bottoms on alluvial soils or podzolic sands with a clayey subsoil, and tolerates slightly saline soils[]. Tolerates dry soils and also drought once it is established, according to one report[], although another says that it is not very drought resistant[].
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 fast growing tree, it is often cultivated in S.W. Europe for timber, soil stabilization shelter and as an anti-malarial measure, the trees are capable of drying out wet ground, making it unsuitable for mosquitoes to breed in[].
It has shown rapid growth in the early stages in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. In South Africa annual height growth was 0.9 - 1.8 metres. In Madagascar trees 13 - 15 years old reached a height of 25 - 30 metres[].
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[].
The tree coppices well[].
The tree is resistant to fire, usually regrowing freely once the fire has passed[].
When the wood is to be used for pulping, coppice rotations of 6 - 8 years are applied[].
This species is very easily confused with Eucalyptus dalrympleana[].
Plants are shallow-rooting and, especially in windy areas, should be planted out into their permanent positions when small to ensure that they do not suffer from wind-rock[]. They strongly resent root disturbance and should be container grown before planting out into their permanent position[].
Eucalyptus species have not adopted a deciduous habit and continue to grow until it is too cold for them to do so. This makes them more susceptible to damage from sudden cold snaps. If temperature fluctuations are more gradual, as in a woodland for example, the plants have the opportunity to stop growing and become dormant, thus making them more cold resistant. A deep mulch around the roots to prevent the soil from freezing also helps the trees to survive cold conditions[]. Many members of this genus are remarkably adaptable however, and there can be a dramatic increase in the hardiness of subsequent generations from the seed of survivors growing in temperate zones[].

Edible Uses

A manna is exuded from the leaves[, , ] (from the bark as well according to some reports[, , ]) as a result of insect damage[]. The red gum or manna exuding from cracks in the bark is eaten eagerly by boys[]. Eucalyptus manna, which exudes from punctures in summer months, is sometimes consumed[]. A very pleasant sweet taste[, , ], it is slightly laxative[]. The aboriginal Australians collected it after it fell to the ground, or they scraped it from the leaves[]. Heavily covered leaves were pounded and baked[]. Since the manna is probably formed as a result of insect damage, it is quite possible that it will not be formed in Britain because the same insects will not be able to live here[]. The manna contains the sugars arabinose, raffinose, dextrose, and sucrose[].

Medicinal

A sweet manna exuded from the plant has a mild laxative effect[, ].

The essential oil found in the leaves shows an antiviral effect and can be used in the treatment of influenza[].

The leaves are laxative[].
A decoction of the leafy twigs is used in baths against rheumatism in the legs[, ].

The leaves inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Planted in S. Europe for soil stabilization and to drain marshes in order to get rid of malarial mosquitoes[].
Eucalyptus viminalis is planted in shelter belts and windbreaks[].
The flowers are rich in nectar and are a good bee forage[].

Other Uses

The leaves contain between 0.35 - 0.75% essential oil, of which 50 - 65% is cineol, 5% is pinene, and 10% is eudesmol[, ].
In Ethiopia leaves yield 0.8% essential oil, with as main components 1,8-cineole (50.9%), alpha-pinene (28.2%), globulol (5.1%) and limonene (4.3%)[].
The leaves of Brazilian trees contain 1.3 - 1.8%essential oil, with 1,8-cineole (84 - 87%) as the main component. The essential oil content is highest in the summer season, when temperature and humidity are high[].

The bark contains 4.8 - 8% tannin[].

The red gum or manna exuding from cracks in the bark has been used for making adhesives[].

Branchlets have been used for weaving[].

The heartwood is pale yellow or pink, and is not clearly demarcated from the sapwood. The grain is usually straight, texture coarse. The wood is difficult to dry without degrade, because it tends to check and warp, but proper stacking can reduce this tendency to a minimum. Strong collapse may occur, but reconditioning by steaming is possible. The wood is tough, hard, moderately strong to strong, durable in the soil in some reports[, ], but susceptible to attacks by termites and marine borers in another[]. When grown in rich soils the wood is not so hard nor so durable[]. Once dried, the wood is not stable in service. The wood is fairly difficult to saw and plane, but African plantation trees give much better quality sawn wood than Australian native trees. Quartersawing is recommended. The wood may split on nailing and screwing, and pre-boring is recommended. The wood is used for poles, tool handles, shingles, indoor construction, flooring, boards, panelling, interior trim and joinery. It is suitable for ship and boat building, vehicle bodies, furniture, ladders, sporting goods, veneer, plywood, boxes, crates and particle board[, , , ]. It is considered suitable for paper pulp[].
The wood is used for fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow late winter/early spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse[, , ]. 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. Plant out into their permanent positions in early summer and give them some protection from the cold in their first winter. The seed can also be sown in early summer, the young trees being planted in their final positions in late spring of the following year. The seed has a long viability[].