Common Name: White Box

General Information

Eucalyptus albens is an evergreen tree with a strongly branched, rather large crown; it can grow 15 - 25 metres tall. The moderately straight bole is up to half the total height of the tree and can reach a diameter of 50 - 100cm[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local and commercial use of its wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern and southern Australia - South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, southeastern Queensland

Habitat

Widespread, often dominant, in grassy or sclerophyll woodland on a range of soils, usually of higher fertility[]. Gentle slopes and plains, broad shallow valleys and the lower slopes of hills and mountains; at elevations from 150 - 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus albens is a plant of the warm temperate zone of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 30°c, but can tolerate 8 - 40°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -10°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. There are generally around 5 - 20 frosts a year[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,100mm, but tolerates 500 - 1,200mm[]. It its native range, rainfall can be all year round or mainly in the winter[].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of well-drained soils of low to moderate fertility[]. 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[].
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

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are an excellent source of nectar and pollen for bees[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is light brown. The grain is somewhat interlocked. The wood is heavy, hard, strong and durable. It is not readily worked, but is used for heavy engineering construction, poles, railway sleepers, fencing[, ].
The wood is an excellent 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[].