Tasmanian blue gum is referred to as 'Western blue gum' when genetically-improved material is used for plantations in the State. The Standard Trade Name is 'Southern blue gum'. In the native forest, blue gum varies from a medium-sized woodland tree 15-20 m in height with branches retained to below one-third of total height, to an impressive forest tree of excellent form, to 70 m in height and 2 m diameter. On very harsh, exposed sites such as Flinders and King Islands it may be reduced to a mallee-like shrub. Occurs naturally in south-east Tasmania, the Bass Strait Islands and south-east Victoria. Its low level of frost tolerance restricts distribution to low altitudes and near coastal locations. Extensive plantations have been established in the south-west of Western Australia on ex-pastured land.

Wood description [more info]
Heartwood is a light yellowish brown, sometimes with a pinkish tinge. Sapwood is paler, not always distinguishable from heartwood, and up to 50 mm wide. The texture is medium and grain often interlocked, and growth rings are distinct, particularly on end grain.

Wood density [more info]
Green density of young Western Australian-grown timber is about 1040 kg/m3, air-dry density about 740 kg/m3, and basic density about 540 kg/m3.

Shrinkage [more info]
Tangential and radial shrinkage of 17-23-year-old material before reconditioning are about 14.5 and 7.0 per cent respectively, and after reconditioning about 9.5 and 4.6 per cent respectively.

Workability [more info]
With workability, the timber needs care in drying to minimise checking of the tangential surface. Quartersawing (at right angles to the growth rings) is recommended because of surface checking. Considerable collapse can occur, but this can be recovered by steam reconditioning.

Durability [more info]
The Durability Class based on the 1996 CSIRO assessment is 3 for decay, and 4 for decay + termites combined. Sapwood is Lyctus-susceptible.

Strength group and properties [more info]
Green and dry strength groups for timber from mature trees are S3 and SD2 respectively. There are no data for plantation-grown trees, but the more important strength properties for mature wood are given in the table below.

Uses [more info]
The uses are mainly for pulp and paper, rayon, general structural timber, flooring and furniture timber. If preservative-treated, round timber can be used for posts, poles, sleepers and fence posts.

Availability [more info]
There is slowly increasing availability from plantations in Western Australia, but most resource is managed for use as woodchips.