Eucalyptus quadrangulata

(White-Topped Box)

Natural Range – New South Wales, Southern Queensland

E. quadrangulata is a tall tree with good form in forest situations that is found on the better soils of the coast and adjacent ranges in New South Wales and southern Queensland. It occurs in the tablelands of central and northern NSW, where mean annual rainfall is 900-1700 mm per year. It grows best on moderately heavy soils and can withstand up to 50 frosts per year. It produces a Class 1-2 durable timber with light yellow brown heartwood and fine texture. It is very hard and heavy, also very stable and highly decay resistant. A NZ standard for hardwood use also identifies timber from this species as suitable for use in crossarms. (Standards Association of New Zealand, 1969).

While the distribution is somewhat restricted, there is considerable variation between provenances. Forests NSW have evaluated E. quadrangulata for its suitability as a plantation species. It showed good growth and survival after three years and also ranked well for health and form. The species does not yet feature in any Australian tree breeding programme, so there are no opportunities to source any improved material. Therefore, Proseed NZ Ltd with the help of Forests NSW plan to collect seed from wild populations in New South Wales.