Product Range > Timber Species > Spotted Gum

Spotted Gum

Botanical name: ECorymbia maculata

Origin: A large hardwood of very common occurrence growing in an area ranging from the New South Wales/Victorian border to the Maryborough district in Queensland.

It is quite a tall tree up to 50 metres in height. The tree sheds elliptical strips of bark as it weathers and the resultant mottled or spotted appearance lends itself to its common name.

Appearance: The heartwood colour range is quite broad from very pale browns through to very dark browns. Some samples may have a slightly orange tint in the lighter variations. The sapwood is distinctly paler. The grain is often interlocked and generally features some ‘fiddleback’ figure. This wavy type grain may be quite distinctive.

Properties: This species is sometimes known as Spotted Iron Gum, due to the nature of the timber, which is very dense with excellent mechanical properties. The raw timber has a slightly greasy feel, a property which is well regarded and utilised in tool handles (a common use for this species). The heartwood is durable (Class 2) and the sapwood is susceptible to lyctid borer attack.

Ref: www.hardwood.timber.net.au