Common Name: White Mahogany

General Information

Eucalyptus acmenoides is an evergreen tree growing up to 45 metres tall. The bole is usually straight and cylindrical[, ].
The tree is often harvested from the wild for its good quality timber and its essential oil. It is sometimes grown in plantations, doing well in various countries where it has been trialled[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - Queensland, New South Wales

Habitat

Coastal forests, growing on ridges and hills on a variety of well-drained soils; at elevations up to 300 metres in the south and up to 1,000 metres in the north of its range[]. Wet sclerophyll forests on poor to moderately fertile soils[].

Properties

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 acmenoides is native to the tropical and warm temperate climates of easterm Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 300 metres in the south of its range and to 1,000 metres further north. Summers are hot and moist, whilst winters are drier, but often with some rain. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 625 - 1,500mm; mean maximum of the hottest month is 27 - 33°c; mean minimum of the coldest month is 10 - 14°c, and there are generally few frosts a year[].
Succeeds in most well-drained soils, being found in the wild mainly on sands, sandy loams and stony soils[, ]. Eucalyptus species generally require a sunny position, succeeding in a wide range of well-drained, circumneutral soils of low to moderate fertility[].
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[].
This species is likely to hybridize with Eucalyptus pilularis[].
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

None known

Medicinal

Kino resin, obtained from the trunk, is very astringent. Diluted, it can be 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. It can be used as a gargle and mouthwash to treat relaxed throat, loose teeth[, ].
Applied externally as a wash, it is used to treat cuts and skin problems[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are a very good source of nectar and pollen 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 0.1 - 1.0% essential oil. The main components include 1,8-cineole and alpha-pinene[].
An extract of the leaves (this probably refers to the essential oil[]) is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an antioxidant, astringent, hair conditioner, skin conditioner and masking agent[].

A small quantity of kino resin is obtained from the trunk. Kino resins are rich in tannins and are very astringent. They can be used medicinally, in tanning, as well as for preserving and dyeing natural fibres. When boiled in an iron pot they produce a thick, dark liquid that can be used as an ink[].
The resin oozes naturally from wounds in the trunk and can be tapped by making incisions in the bark. At first it is a thick liquid, but soon hardens upon exposure to the air and sun, typically drying to an amber-like material that consists of amber-coloured angular fragments, becoming red then black with time, rarely larger than a pea. Freshly exuded kino is more effective than kino that has been on the tree for a long while, since the soluble portion can be more or less washed out and the action of the sun can alter their chemical composition[].

The wood is yellowish brown or occasionally brown, with a close texture and usually interlocked grain. It is hard, strong, stiff and tough, very durable and termite resistant; A high-quality timber, and one of the best eucalypt timbers to work, it is used in pole form, sawn or hewn[, , ].

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[].