Scientific Name:
Eucalyptus saligna

Other Names and Species:
Woollybutt
Blue Gum

The Sydney Blue Gum is also fondly known as the Woollybutt and often mistaken for the Rose Gum (Eucalyptus grandis). it is a well-known Australian timber tree. It is an excellent candidate for farm forestry and is increasing in popularity as a plantation species. This is due to its characteristics of good form, self-pruning and early wood maturity, its ability to grow in a wide range of soils and the suitability of the timber for a wide range of uses.

It naturally occurs in tall open coastal forests, northward from around Bateman’s Bay to southern Queensland, mostly on deeper, moist soils in valleys or on sheltered lower slopes. In northern localities it extends up to the high slopes and ridges. It is usually found within 160 km of the coast, from sea level up to 300 m in the south and 1200 m elevation in the north.

Weight:
1100 kg/cu.m. The green density is about 1070 kg/m3 and the air-dry density at 12 % moisture content is about 850kg/m3. Rapidly grown plantation timber can have densities as low as 450 - 600 kg/m3.

Use:
General building purposes, decking and boat building. cladding, flooring furniture construction, hardwood flooring, cabinetry, and general carpentry applications such as crossbeams, posts, and pilings, and paneling.

General characteristic:
Sydney Blue Gum has a straight grain that is sometimes slightly interlocked. The main appeal of the Sydney Blue Gum is the wood’s diverse colour range that spans nearly a full range of reds from dark, blushing pinks to deep red-brown.

Working properties:
It is easy to work, dress and finish and takes a good polish. the logs can have a significant impact on yield, frequently causing brittleheart near the centre of the stem, with log splitting and distortion of the timber during sawing. Low recoveries from sawing are likely if logs of less than 30 cm small end diameter are used.

Drying and shrinkage:
Sydney Blue Gum is easy to dry, relative to most other eucalypts, with moderate shrinkage. Collapse is slight but the heart centre material is inclined to split quite severely, so it is not recommended for large girders. Air drying to moisture content of 25% is a normal practice. Reconditioning is recommended during the kiln drying process.

Durability:
Heartwood is moderately durable, with garden sleepers lasting 8 - 15 years. It is susceptible to attack from a number of insect pests. Leafblister sawfly, christmas beetles, lerps, and leaf hoppers can infest trees at any age.Borer attack can occur where trees are weakened due to disease or pest attack or by being grown on poor quality sites.