Common Name: Woollybutt

General Information

Eucalyptus longifolia is an evergreen tree with a heavily branched, somewhat irregular crown; it can grow from 20 - 35 metres tall. The bole is usually straight, up to half the total height of the tree and can be 100cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - central and southeastern New South Wales

Habitat

Closed forests near the coast; at elevations up to 300 metres[]. Usually found in valleys and on low counry where the soils do not dry out[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus longifolia is native to the warn temperate climate of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 300 metres. Summers are warm and often dry, with most rainfall occurring in the winter months and a dry season of up to 3 months. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 625 - 1,000mm; mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 22 - 28°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is 2 - 9°c, and there are generally up to 20 frosts a year[].When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at 0°c[].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of heavy to medium-textured, 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

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 0.6 - 1.1% (0.6% dry weight) essential oil. The main components include pinene (up to 75% in some forms), 1,8-cineole (up to 25%), cymene (up to 19%), aromadendrene (up to 14%)[].

The red-brown wood is moderately fine-textured with s grain that is usually interlocked. The wood is moderately hard, strong and durable; with a density of 1,010 kg/m3. An excellent general-purpose hardwood that is used in construction, for railway sleepers etc, though it is usually in short supply[, ].

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[].