Eucalyptus nitens "Compacta"

The strange case of a giant eucalyptus behaving like a small mallee bush

Gustavo Iglesias Trabado Contact GIT Forestry Consulting
GIT Forestry Consulting - Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal - www.git-forestry.com - EUCALYPTOLOGICS

Growing on very acidic skeletal soils over granites this specimen of Eucalyptus nitens has decided to take off with a mallee habit instead of the typical columnar single stemmed one proper of this eucalypt species.

Eucalyptus nitens Compacta Eucalipto nitens enano plateado compacto Galicia España Spain GIT Forestry ConsultingFig. 1: Rare Eucalyptus nitens specimen showing a mallee habit

This curious case is not similar to a previously mentioned example of regeneration from coppice.

The pictured specimen is currently 60 month old (right) and grows in a small plot where trees had not been planted/harvested before, even aged with neighbour trees showing the more typical growth habit. Close inspection of the base of the trunks by age 42 months (left) revealed no visible stump of previous single stemmed growth, just very vigorous fused multiple branching.

Stressing growth conditions, particularly reduced moisture availability due to soil type and partial shade from neighbour trees and shrubs, have caused some leaf loss during its fifth year and make us wonder what the outlook would be if it was growing in better conditions. However the compact habit is easily noticeable yet, and growth in height has been relatively slow (neighbour trees more than double it already). A potentially interesting phenotype, slower growing than the average, very glaucous and compact shaped Shining Gum germplasm source in the short term that could find ornamental applications as hedge plant.

Contact GIT Forestry Consulting / Contact Eucalyptologics / Contacto GIT Forestry Consulting / Contacto Eucalyptologics / Lugo, Galicia, Spain, EspañaContact GIT Forestry Consulting - Eucalyptologics

EUCALYPTOLOGICS: GIT Forestry Consulting Eucalyptus Blog / Information Resources on Eucalyptus Cultivation Worldwide / Forestry Engineering, Eucalyptus Seed, Eucalyptus Plants, Eucalyptus Wood, Eucalyptus Honey, Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Eucalyptus Forests, Eucalyptus Plantations, Eucalyptus Timber, Eucalyptus Lumber, Eucalyptus Furniture, Eucalyptus Veneer, Eucalyptus Plywood, Eucalyptus MDF Board, Eucalyptus Cellulose, Eucalyptus Paper, Eucalyptus Biomass, Eucalyptus Energy, Eucalyptus Floristry, Eucalyptus Foliage, Eucalyptus Garden / Ingenieria Forestal, Semilla de eucalipto, Plantas de eucalipto, Madera de eucalipto, Miel de eucalipto, Aceite Esencial de eucalipto, Bosque de eucalipto, Plantacion de eucalipto, Muebles de eucalipto, Tablero de eucalipto, MDF de eucalipto, Celulosa de eucalipto, Papel de eucalipto, Biomasa de eucalipto, Energia de eucalipto, Ramillo Verde Ornamental de Eucalipto, Jardin de EucaliptoGIT's Eucalyptology Topics

Subscribe to receive EUCALYPTOLOGICS via RSS

Subscribe to receive EUCALYPTOLOGICS via e-mail


© 2007 Gustavo Iglesias Trabado. Please contact us if you want to use all or part of this text and photography elsewhere. We like to share, but we do not like rudeness.

No comments:

Post a Comment