Eucalyptus moluccana
Wall. ex Roxb.
Myrtaceae
Eucalyptus hemiphloia Benth.
Common Name: Grey Box
General Information
Eucalyptus moluccana is an evergreen tree with a dense, much-branched crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The bole is usually straight and cylindrical, often more than 50% the total height of the tree and 60 - 120cm in diameter[
,
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood and is also sometimes cultivated.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Australia - Queensland, New South Wales
Habitat
Open woodland, usually near the coast and usually on heavy soils; at elevations up to 500 metres[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
Properties
Other Uses Rating | |
Habit | Evergreen Tree |
Height | 25.00 m |
Pollinators | Bees, Insects |
Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Eucalyptus moluccana has a very wide latitudinal range, being found at elevations up to 500 metres from the tropical regions of northern Queensland southwards to the warm temperate zone of New South Wales. With such a range the climate can be very varied, but summers are generaly hot, with the mean maximum temperature of the hottest month up to 35 °c; whilst the mean minimum temperature of the coldest month can be as low as 5 °c. Frosts are rare in the north, with up to 15 a year further south. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[
]. Mean annual rainfall can range from 500 - 1,000mm, falling mainly in the summer in some areas and all year round in others. There can be a dry season of up to 4 months[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of heavy to medium-textured, well-drained soils of moderate fertility[
]. Found mainly on heavy soils in the wild[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
]. 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[
].
A valuable tree for planting if a box-type wood is required. The latitudinal range of occurrence of more than 20° would make provenance testing desirable[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
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[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. 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[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
None known
Agroforestry Uses:
The flowers are a good source of nectar for bees[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
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 0.4 - 0.9% essential oil. The main components include 1,8-cineole (up to 80%), cymene, cryptone, phellandral, cuminal and spathulenol[
1659- Title
- Eucalyptus Leaf Oils: Use, Chemistry, Distillation and Marketing
- Publication
- Phytochemistry June 1992
- Author
- Southwell I.A.
- Website
- https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(92)80403-2
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An extensive list of Eucalyptus species and their essential oil content.
].
The light brown wood has a fine uniform texture and generally interlocked grain. It is very hard, strong, with a density of 960 - 1,200 kilos per cubic metre, very durable and termite-resistant. It is widely used for poles and piles, railway sleepers and structural purposes. It is fairly hard to work, but is suitable for heavy engineering construction[
,
1097- Title
- Australian Timber handbook
- Publication
-
- Author
- Wallis N.K.
- Publisher
- Angus & Robertson; Sydney
- Year
- 1970
- ISBN
- 0-207-12053-6
- Description
- A comprehensive book about the uses of timber in Australia, it includes a section with information on the properties of the more commonly used woods in Australia
,
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
The wood is a very good fuel[
1658- Title
- Eucalypts for Planting
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Series No.11
- Author
- Jacobs M.R.
- Website
- http://www.fao.org
- Publisher
- FAO; Rome
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 92-5-100570-2
- Description
- An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow late winter/early spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
78- Title
- Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sheat. W. G.
- Publisher
- MacMillan and Co
- Year
- 1948
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
,
134- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. 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[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
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