Eucalyptus Species, Narrow-leaved Ironbark, Red Ironbark

Narrow-leaf Ironbark has a long history as a construction timber in Australia. The early settlers used it for posts and rails, and sawn o...Read Morer slabbed with wedges and smothed with an adze or broad axe, it was used extensively as a structural building material. It is a high strength timber that is resistant to termites for a long period.The bark was used for roofing and huts were built from 2 inch thick slabs. There were even forts built of Iron bark, some of which are standing to this day built over 120 years ago.

The timber is very dense having a density of 1090 kilograms per cubic metre (heavier than water). It is very hard often with a curly grain. When dressed it makes excellent flooring, benchtops, beams and bearers and if polished is a very attractive reddish brown to red often with interesting figure in the grain.

It is very slow growing, taking maybe over 80 years to develop into a tree of two feet in diameter at chest height. Once established, it is very drought tolerant and grows in areas of 450mm to 1200mm annual rainfall. It establishes well on stony hillsides but will grow better in heavy but well drained soils on the lower slopes. If you want to grow one, don't expect to see a tree any thicker than your wrist after ten years of growth.