Common Name: Turpentine Tree

General Information

Syncarpia glomulifera is a tall tree, commonly growing 40 - 45 metres tall with occasional specimens up to 60 metres[]. The straight bole has a thick, fibrous bark, it may reach a diameter of 100 - 150cm[].
The tree produces a valuable and very durable timber, as well as an aromatic resin. It is cultivated as a timber crop in some areas and is also grown in areas such as southern India, Argentina and southern USA as a shade and ornamental tree[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland.

Habitat

Thrives best in valleys, on flats and in basins in locations varying from coastal lowlands to mountains and tablelands[]. Often grows as an emergent near the margins of rainforest or in wet sclerophyll forest, often on heavier soils[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Syncarpia glomulifera is a plant of subtropical to tropical regions, within its native range it occurs naturally within the latitudinal range of 16 - 36°S at elevations between sea level and 900 metres[]. In the temperate zone it is only likely to succeed outdoors in regions with hot summers and very mild winters. It grows best in areas where the mean maximum and minimum temperatures are within the range 18 - 28°c, though it can tolerate 8 - 36°c[]. Even when dormant, it can be killed by temperatures falling to -5°c or lower[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 1,300 - 1,700mm, but can tolerate 1,000 - 2,000mm[].
Prefers a sunny position[]. Succeeds in most well-drained soils, preferring a medium soil of high fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[].
Open growing trees tend to coppice along the stem producing long, narrow crowns[].
A good bee plant[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaf ash and sap are used as an antiseptic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Because the wood is very difficult to burn, the tree is planted in the midst of forests to form fire-stopping hedges[].
The tree can be used to make a good screen[].
The tree is of potential use in reforestation schemes[].
The flowers are a good source of food for bees[].

Other Uses

An aromatic, orange-red oleo-resin is obtained from the tree[]. Small tears of the resin can be found on the outside of mature fruits, whilst it also exudes from wounds made in the bark. It is best obtained, however, by felling a tree, when it exudes between the bark and sapwood in small drops, which may be scraped off, and the resin collected fairly continuously, and in a pure state[]. It is remarkably like Venice turpentine (from Larix occidentalis), both in colour and in viscidity, with a very agreeable turpentine odour[]. In degree and character it is something between those of Venice turpentine and Canada Balsam (from Abies balsamea))[].

The heartwood is red to reddish-brown; demarcated from the light-coloured sapwood. The wood is fine and even in texture; the grain usually interlocked; hard; strong and very durable in the soil. The resin in the wood makes it highly resistant to decay, termites and marine organisms. The wood is also very difficult to ignite. It is used for structural purposes, such as piles (often with the thick bark still attached), poles, girders, beams, wharf decking and heavy-duty floors, as well as for wagons, railway sleepers, posts etc[, , , ].

Propagation

Seed -