Species Information
Spotted Gum is an endemic Australian tree that features a straight trunk that can grow up to 45 meters in height. The bark of the Spotted Gum is smooth and powdery, and typically white, grey, or pink. There are often unique patches (or spots) along the bark.
The leaves of an adult Spotted Gum are typically lanceolate, while juvenile leaves are glossy green and elliptic.
The flowers are small and white and appear from winter to spring, followed by fruits, which are typically 10 to 14 mm long.
Spotted Gum is a premium Australian hardwood with a high degree of natural durability and strength. Architects worldwide enjoy using Spotted Gym because of its back-sawn grain structure, attractive markings and color palette.
Spotted Gum refers to four species of trees that grow on the east coast of Australia.
Spotted Gum trees have a host of characteristics that help it survive intense fires, including a thick bark, as well as an outer layer of bark that peels off in patches, rather than in ribbons. If the canopy of the tree is damaged, the tree can sprout new leaves from the base or branches.
There is an Achilles heel for the Spotted Gum, however. It doesn’t handle frost well. It’s also susceptible to ramularia shoot blight in humid summer rainfall areas.
Scientific Names
The scientific name for Spotted Gum is Corymbia maculata.
Origin
Spotted Gum is found on the east coast of Australia, from northeast Victoria to the northern areas of Queensland.
Crossover Names
- Lemon-scented Gum
- Spotted Irongum
- Eucalyptus maculate
- Corymbia citridora
- Eucalyptus ciriodora
- Corymbia henryi
- Eucalyptus henryi
Janka Rating
The Janka rating for the Spotted Gum tree is 2,330, making it a particularly hard tree. It’s over 91% harder than Red Oak.
*The Janka rating measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. Click Here for more info.
Appearance
The heartwood of Spotted Gum ranges from light brown to dark red-brown hues. The sapwood is typically white or light brown. Due to the tree’s wavy grain, you may see a fiddle-back figure from time to time.
The Spotted Gum wood has a slightly greasy feel, which aids in machining and boring.
Workability
Spotted Gum actually works rather easily with both hand and power tools. That’s in large part due to the wood’s greasy nature and surface. Spotted Gum can handle nails and glue quite well, and takes stain, paint and polishing easily.
Spotted Gum has a high natural resistance to decay, and remains smooth under friction. It has a slight citrus odor when being worked ion, and dries fairly easily.
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