Common Name: West Australian Blackbutt

General Information

Eucalyptus patens is an evergreen tree with a dense, heavily-branched crown; it can grow up to 45 metres tall. The bole is usually straight, and can reach 180cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - southwestern Western Australia

Habitat

Mainly found in valleys and depressions, but also in hilly country; at elevations up to 300 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	35.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus patens is native to the Mediterranean climate of southwestern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 300 metres. Rainfall occurs mainly in the winter, with a mean annual rainfall within the range 625 - 1,250mm and a dry season of up to 4 months. The mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 24 - 26°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is 5°c, and frosts are generally few and light[]. 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 light to medium-textured, well-drained soils of low to moderate fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[]. Plants can tolerate seasonal inundation of the soil[].
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

The pale yellow heartwood has an interlocked grain. The wood is hard, tough and moderately durable, with a density of 860 kilos per cubic metre. It is a first-class general-purpose timber for construction work; a good flooring and panelling 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[].