Common Name: White Mallee

General Information

Eucalyptus dumosa is an evergreen, multi-stemmed shrub or small tree that can grow from 2 - 12 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is grown as an ornamental in dry regions[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - South Australia, northeastern Victoria, western New South Wales

Habitat

Desert areas on plains and gentle slopes; at elevations up to 300 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	7.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus dumosa is a plant of the arid and semi-arid zone of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 300 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 28°c, but can tolerate 8 - 39°c. In the wild it can experience up to 20 frosts a year - when dormant it can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. Rain can occur all year round in its native habitat - it prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 300 - 450mm, but tolerates 150 - 500mm[, ].
Prefers a sunny position in a moderately fertile well-drained moisture retentive circum-neutral soil[]. Tolerates poor and dry soils, especially those low in mineral elements[]. A drought tolerant plant once it is established[], it succeeds in pure sand[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 8, tolerating 6 - 8.5[].
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[].
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[].
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[].
The bruised leaves have a strong smell of camphor[].

Edible Uses

A sweet manna-like substance is produced upon the leaves of the tree, it is made into a delicious drink[]. One report says that it is the secretion of an insect[], and thus is unlikely to be produced in many areas outside the insects native range[].

The bark of young roots is powdered then baked and eaten either on its own or mixed with other plants. It is said to be rather sweet, resembling malt in flavour[, , , ].

This is one of several species of plant used by native Australians as a source of water where no free water was available. The roots were dug up, the bark removed and the roots cut into sections. These were then stood on end in a container into which the sap would drip, providing an often life-saving drink[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are rich in nectar and are a good bee crop[].

Other Uses

The leaves contain over 1% essential oil[, ]. This oil has a strong scent of camphor and is more pure than the oil of most other Eucalyptus species[]. The essential oil is an effective inhibitor of hydrochloric acid corrosion when coated over steel[].

The wood is hard and moderately durable. Too small to be used commercially, it is used locally as a 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[].