Common Name: Gum Coolibah

General Information

Eucalyptus intertexta is an evergreen tree usually growing 5 - 20 metres tall but exceptionally to 30 metres. The bole can reach a diameter of 100cm[]. When growing on poorer sites the tree is often reduced to a shrub a few metres tall[].
The seeds were sometimes consumed by the native Aborigines, though it is doubtful they are eaten nowadays. The wood is also sometimes used locally.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia.

Habitat

Forming a very open woodland, it is found on the higher parts of extensive plains, from which flood water is shed, and in drier areas; it is also found on flats and in broad valleys[, ].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus intertexta is a plant of arid areas from the warm temperate zone to the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,250 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 28 - 38°c, but can tolerate 10 - 42°c[]. Plants tolerate 10 - 15 frosts a year in the wild, though fresh young growth can be killed by temperatures of -1°c or lower, whilst temperatures down to -7°c will kill even the dormant plant[, ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 300 - 600mm, but tolerates 150 - 700mm[].
Prefers a sunny position[]. Prefers a well-drained, light to medium soil, tolerating conditions of low fertility[]. Plants can tolerate a severe dry season of 8 months in the wild[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 8.8[].
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[].
Annual wood production potential is 4 - 5 cubic metres per hectare[].
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

Seeds - ground into a powder[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A small quantity of 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 0.2 - 1.6% (1.5 - 1.5% dry weight) essential oil. The main components include pinene, 1,8-cineole (up to 68% in some reports), cymene, trans-pinocarveol, globulol and limonene[].

The heartwood is red; the narrow band of sapwood is white. The wood is hard, heavy, moderately durable in the ground and with a very interlocked grain. It is used in the round for farm construction[, , ].
The wood is used for 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[].