Common Name: Camden Woollybutt

General Information

Eucalyptus macarthurii is a heavy-set, evergreen tree with a dense crown; it can grow 30 - 40 metres tall. The bole is usually straight but heavily branched and up to 120cm in diameter[, ].
A good, vigorous shelterbelt tree, it is also a potential source of essential oil for the perfumery industry and has been experimentallly cultivated in South Africa, DR Congo, Brazil and S Russia[, ]. The tree is grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - southeastern New South Wales

Habitat

Open forest near watercourses; at elevations from 500 - 1,200 metres[]. Locally frequent, in grassy woodland on relatively fertile soils on broad cold flats[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus macarthurii is native to the warm temperate climate of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 900 metres. Summers are hot and moist, with moist winters and a dry season of up to 4 months. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 750 - 1,150mm; mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 26°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is 2 - 3°c, and there are generally around 30 - 40 frosts a year[].
Eucalyptus species generally require a sunny position, succeeding in a wide range of well-drained, circumneutral soils of low to moderate fertility[]. Plants are usually wind-firm[].
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[].
The tree coppices well but the wood is difficult to debark the wood[].
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

Agroforestry Uses:

An excellent species for use in shelterbelts and to provide shade when 'on site'[].

Other Uses

The leaves have a high percentage of the essential oil geranyl acetate (44 - 56%), eudesmol (28 - 40%) and free geraniol, which are used in perfumery[, , ]

The wood is of medium weight and strength, not durable. It is used on farms[]. It is not popular as a pulpwood coppice crop because of the difficulty in debarking[].

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[].