Eucalyptus nitens

Common Name: Shining Gum / Silver Top

Height: 50-80 metres.

Spread: Above 10 metres.

Habit: Tall tree. Smaller (25 metres) on poorer sites.

Family: Myrtaceae

Origin/Habitat: Tall open forests and coastal escarpment of NSW.

Foliage: Adult leaves 15-30cm in length, thick and dark green in colour. Juvenile leaves are opposite, stalkless, bluish in colour, on square-sectioned branchlets.

Flowers: Jan-March. White in colour.

Other features for identification: Bark is smooth, white or green/grey in colour, peeling in long strips. Buds often found with 7 per cluster. Fruit is small, shiny brown in colour, with usually 3 valves at rim level.

Soil preferences: Prefers pH of neutral to acid. Fertilise at plant out with 15gm of 18:2.6:10 N.P.K slow release.

Cultural tolerances: Will grow from cool to temperate zones in most rich soils. Requires full sun. Very frost resistant; tender to drought. Wind tolerance – can be placed in the front line of a windbreak.

Maintenance requirements: Low. Add a 9 month slow release fertiliser in spring.

Uses:      Timber

Other: High fire risk, with poor post fire regeneration. Wood is light, but not durable in the ground. Used for weatherboards, plywood, pulp, etc.

Propagation: By seed.