USDA Forest Service
Forest Products Laboratory
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53705-2398
(608) 231-9200

Wood Technology Transfer Fact Sheet

Eucalyptus marginata

Jarrah

Family: Myrtaceae

Other Common Names: None.

Distribution: Found in coastal belt in Southwestern Australia.

The Tree: Up to 100 to 150 ft in height with trunk diameters of 3 to 5 ft.

The Wood:

General Characteristics: Heartwood is light red to dark red when first cut turning a rich mahogany-like hue on exposure; distinct from the narrow pale sapwood. Texture moderately coarse; grain is commonly interlocked or wavy, sometimes curly; without distinctive odor or taste. Gum veins or pockets are a common defect.

Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.68; air-dry density 54 pcf.

Mechanical Properties: (2-in. standard)

Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength

(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)

Green (6) 9,880 1,480 5,190

12% 16,200 1,880 8,870

Janka side hardness 1,285 lb for green material and 1,915 lb for dry. Forest Products Laboratory toughness 126 in.-lb for green and 117 in.-lb for dry (5/8- in. specimen).

Drying and Shrinkage: Requires mild drying conditions to avoid checking and warp; collapse is not severe. Air-drying prior to kiln-drying is suggested. Kiln schedule T3-C2 is used for 4/4 stock and T3-C1 for 8/4. Shrinkage green to 12% moisture content: radial 4.6%; tangential 6.6%. Movement in service is rated medium.

Working Properties: Because of high density and irregular grain the wood is difficult to work with hand and machine tools; blunting of cutters is moderate; gluing is good.

Durability: Heartwood is rated as very durable and highly resistant to termite attack. Reported to be resistant to marine borer attack.

Preservation: Rated as extremely resistant to preservative treatments (heartwood).

Uses: Dock and harbor work and other heavy construction, flooring, railroad crossties.

Additional Reading: (5), (6), (17)

5. Boaz, I. H. 1947. The commercial timbers of Australia. CSIRO, Melbourne.

6. Bolza, E., and N. H. Kloot. 1963. The mechanical properties of 174 Australian timbers. CSIRO Div. For. Prod. Technol. Pap. For. Prod. Aust. No. 25.

17. Farmer, R. H. (Editor). 1972. Handbook of hardwoods. H. M. Stationery Office, London.

From: Chudnoff, Martin. 1984. Tropical Timbers of the World. USDA Forest Service. Ag. Handbook No. 607.