Common Name: White gum

General Information

Eucalyptus dunnii is an evergreen tree with a heavilt branched crown; it can grow 40 - 50 metres tall. The bole is long and straight[].
The tree is harvested from the wild and also cultivated for its wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - northeastern New South Wales, southeastern Queensland

Habitat

Closed forests, mainly on the lower slopes of hills and valley bottoms, but also on ridges in basaltic soils around the edge of rain forest; at elevations from 150 - 800 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	40.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus dunnii is native to the subtropical climate of eastern Australia, where it is found at elevations from 150 - 800 metres. Summers are hot and wet whilst winters are mainly dry with a dry season of three months. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,000 - 1,500mm; mean maximum of the hottest month is 27 - 29°c; mean minimum of the coldest month is 8°c, and frosts are generally few and light[]. There is a report, though, that trees in a plantation in Brazil have proven to be surprisingly frost-tolerant, surviving several degrees of frost without damage[].
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 is one of the fastest growing trees in Australia, possibly the fastest. If papermakers will accept it and if seed
supplies can be developed, it should be one of the most popular plantation species for summer-rainfall areas with a rainfall of 1,200mm or more. An additional advantage of the species is its resistance to cold, which has only
been tested in the last decade. In tests in the United States it has been found to be one of the most cold-resistant eucalypts. In a recent bout of freezing weather in Brazil which damaged the coffee crop and some eucalypt plantations, this species was not injured[].
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[].
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[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

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 0.9 - 2.1% (0.5% dry weight) essential oil. The main components include pinene (around 7%), 1,8-cineole (35 - 44%), aromadendrene (around 6%), terpineol, globulol[].
An extract of the leaves (this probably refers to the essential oil[]) is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an astringent, masing agent, hair and skin conditioner[].

The whitish wood is coarse grained, fissile, tough, non-durable. It is used as a general sawnwood, and is also being considered for pulp for paper manufacture[].

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[].