Myrtaceae

sideroxylon — from Greek sideros, iron, and xylon, wood, referring to the hard wood.

Confined to Gilmore Lower and Sandy subcatchments.

Qld, NSW, Vic.

Sclerophyll woodland on lighter poorer soils.

Tree to 35 m high with red-brown to brown-black ‘ironbark’ and dull green or grey-green adult leaves.

Poor, shallow soils including gravels, sands, ironstones and clays. Tolerates frost. Moderately drought tolerant.

Moderate growth rate.

Early Aug-late Feb. Monitor seed-bearing capsules as seed released 3-8 weeks after maturity.

From seed (± 226 viable seeds per gram).

From seed, particularly in the absence of competitive exotic grasses or weeds, and during wet summers.

Useful medium to high-level cover in windbreaks.

Excellent habitat. Honeyeaters, Swift Parrots, lorikeets, Squirrel Gliders and Sugar Gliders attracted to nectar, an important winter food source. Important food source for many native insect-eating birds and mammals. Hollows good nest sites for many birds and mammals.

Excellent.

Dark red with moderately fine texture and interlocked grain. Very hard, strong, and extremely durable. Density about 1150 kg/m3. Used for heavy engineering construction, railway sleepers and in turnery. Gaining popularity as furniture timber and for electric fence posts and droppers. Posts last in the ground for over 100 years. Appears to retain rich-coloured timber when grown quickly. Potential for woodlot planting for farm timber, firewood and valuable specialty timber.

Timber used for boomerangs.

Very attractive. Flowers prolifically. Beautiful dark bark and contrasting foliage. Apparently retains rich coloured features when grown quickly.

Leaves and bark produce various-coloured dyes depending on mordants used. Leaves contain high quality medicinal oil, with at least 70% cineole content, used commercially. One of most reliable honey producing Australian trees.