Ironbark Eucalyptus
Ironbark Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) commonly known as mugga ironbark, or red ironbark is a small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia.
It has dark, deeply furrowed ironbark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white, red, pink or creamy yellow flowers and cup-shaped to shortened spherical fruit. Eucalyptus sideroxlylon is a tree that typically grows to a height of 82–115 ft (25–35 meters) and forms a lignotuber. The bark is dark grey to black, deeply furrowed ironbark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth white to grey on the thinnest branches.
The wood is relatively hard and dense, and is often used for firewood. It has very high resistance to rotting and can be used for fence posts, piers, sleepers. The heartwood is dark red, the sapwood pale yellow. The fine-grained timber is difficult to work, but polishes to a high sheen. Has been used for furniture, turnery, boat-building, benchtops. Popular as a craft furniture timber during the 1990s and early 2000s, Nicholas Dattner famously used ironbark that had been submerged as a wharf pier for 80 years in a range of tables. The Koori used the wood for boomerangs. Untreated and grounded ironbark posts have been known to still be structurally sound over a century after installation.
At about 1130 kg/m3 it is one of the few timbers that will not float. The leaves are used in the production of cineole based eucalyptus oil. Apiarists in New South Wales place hives in red-ironbark woodlands to collect the honey.
Ironbark is prone to checking, cupping and bowing if not quarter sawn. It is difficult to work with but has a very pretty grain with dark red hues, is rot and insect resistant, and will last longer than we will.
Janka Hardness: 1130 kg/m3
Average Dried Weight: 60 lbs/bf
Specific Gravity: 1.1
Ironbark eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) wood grain.
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