Common Name: Brown Barrel

General Information

Eucalyptus fastigata is an evergreen tree with a large crown; it can grow up to 20 metres tall on ridges, but 30 - 50 metres tall in closed forests on good soils. The tree is of a good form with a straight bole that can be from 30 - 60% of the total height of the tree and 100 - 200cm in diameter[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local and commercial use of its wood. It is sometimes planted as a timber crop, and has done well in New Zealand and South Africa[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Australia - northeast Victoria, New South Wales

Habitat

Wet sclerophyll forests in cold, wet areas on good quality soils; at elevations from 170 - 1,200 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 fastigata is native to the temperate climate of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres. Summers are hot and can be dry, with most rainfall occurring in the winter months. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 750 - 1,200mm, with some of it falling as snow; mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 27°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is °c, and there are generally around 50 - 100 frosts a year[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -8°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. This is one of the most frost hardy Eucalypts in the forests of its natural occurrence, but it has not scored well in overseas frost tests[].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of well-drained soils of moderate to high fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7[].
Annual wood production potential is 21-28 cubic metres per hectare[].
The tree is suitable for cultivation in suitable localities. It is hardy and handles well in nurseries and at planting out. It was planted on a small scale in New Zealand in plantations of Pinus radiata. Each grew at approximately the same rate and the resulting mixed forest is very attractive. There are also much more extensive successful pure plantations in New Zealand and excellent single-tree or line-plantings. It is planted bare-rooted after careful root-pruning in regions of high rainfall and succeeds well; it is not preferred over Eucalyptus regnans but is recognized as hardier[].
The tree usually coppices well. When destroyed by fire in Australia it nearly always recovers with the aid of coppice shoots, so long as the old burnt trunks are cut near the ground[].
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

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 - 2.4% essential oil. The main components include up to 70% eudesmol plus pinene, phellandrene and 1,8-cineole[].

The heartwood is pale brown with a narrow band of sapwood. The grain is straight, the texture open. The wood is moderately hard, moderately strong and moderately durable. It is easily worked and is used for engineering and building construction, marine craft, flooring, architraves, furniture, plywood, and for pulp production for the manufacture of paper[, , ]. It is a very useful sawnwood timber[].

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[].