Description
Eucalyptus Botryoides, Southern Mahogany
| Hardy: | Medium to -8°C |
| Soil: | Happy in a wide variety of soils conditions, prefers moisture laden soils, though is adaptable. |
| Growth: | Fast, up to 2m per year |
| Height: | Up to 40m if left to grow. |
| Biomass: | Excellent for firewood, a good coppicing variety. |
| Flowering: | Small white flowers during mid summer. |
Eucalyptus Botryoides is native to coastal areas of South Eastern Australia where it grows from the coastal dunes inland to the foothills; always on the lowlands.
On the coastal areas it will generally only grow to around 6m, though in more favourable conditions further inland it will grow into tall 40m trees. It is considered to be wind resilient and especially so of salt laden winds.NOTE my opinion is that these will be an experimental variety here in Ireland.Botryoides is grown commercially for its timber, which is as the common name suggest similar to Mahogany. A rich red colour.
My interest in this variety is commercial. I believe in experimental forestry 😉 and this variety of Eucalyptus along with Robusta could potentially be a highly profitable constructional timber product. Actual Mahogany is very expensive 😮 Eucalyptus Botryoides timber is sought after. Among its uses is decking, so I assume it is rot resistant. Also used for furniture and paneling.
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr
The bark and leaves are attractive, pale greens underneath red brown old bark that sheds. The trunks tend to be of more fibrous bark which peels off in strips.
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr
These stands are in Hawaii, thy’ve been struck by lightning, though it doesn’t seem to have deterred there enthusiasm so to speak 😮 The black charred trunks clearly visible down to the ground.
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr
Eucalyptus Botryoides is also considered suitable as shelter belt and hedging.Trees regenerate in two ways:
- The awakening of dormant buds at leaf and branch nodes
- Growing from the roots using lignotubers
Eucalyptus Botryoides have lignotubers, and are therefore suitable for coppicing.
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