MYRTACEAE

Brown-top or Messmate Stringybark

 

15.0m - 90.0m (1500-9000cm) 

Umbels with 7-16 flowers, profuse, white-cream/ 

Woody capsule 

Tall straight tree with a dense crown. 

Break O'Day; Brighton; Burnie; Central Coast; Central Highlands; Circular Head; Clarence; Derwent Valley; Devonport; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Glenorchy; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; Sorell; Southern Midlands; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar 

Dry Eucalypt Forest and Woodland; Wet Eucalypt Forest 

Grows on deep soils with good drainage from sea level to c.600m. Is absent from poorly drained sites, dry sites and highly infertile soils.Generally frost and drought resistant, but this is strongly related to provenance. 

Dry; Exposed; Moist; Rocky; Windy 

 

Clay; Fertile; Loam; Poor; Sandy; Well-drained 

One of the most important hardwoods; used for pulp production and for a wide range of construction and manufacturing purposes. Useful in providing high-level shelter (up to 50m) in windbreaks. Its dense foliage provides useful shade. Suitable for planting for the commercial production of sawlogs. Also a possible hardwood pulp species. Large quantities of cream-coloured pollen is yielded producing a mild flavoured honey. Nectar feeding birds are attracted to the blossom and rosellas are attracted to the capsules and seed. The blossom provides food (pollen) for many native insects, which in turn attract insect-eating birds. The seed and fruit are eaten by some native birds. The leaves are used for dyes.Koori (mainland) use: Fibre from inner bark used to make coarse string for bags and fishing nets. Outer bark for tinder. Not suitable below powerlines. 

Collect capsules and store in paper bags until valves open to release seed. seed can be collected at most times of the year as seed-bearing capsules are retained on the tree for a long time.separate seed by sieving 

Standard 

> 10 years* 

85 

6-8 weeks to pricking out. Seed germinates best at 21oC. Seedling may not survive in a sterile potting mix. Problems can be overcome by adding local soil or leaf litter.Smoke treatment may improve germination *Dry stored in refrigerator at 3-5oC. 

2-4 weeks 

Yes 

 

 

No