Eucalyptus diversicolor ( Karri Eucalyptus ) is a giant sized evergreen tree that is native south-western Western Australia. Karri is among the world’s tallest flowering trees and can grow roots up to 50 metres (160 feet) deep. The trees are fast growing, make a nice honey and the quality of its wood makes it a worthy plantation tree. One problem they do have is that they are simply too big for suburban gardens.
Suitable for Cold, Temperate, Mediterranean and Sub-Tropical climates.
Karri trees have a smooth, deciduous bark which change colours as they age. Often as the bark falls off it the trunk reveals a pattern of colours that range from white to pink.
The wood is highly sought after and is cultivated commercially in South Africa. Timber can be used in construction, fencing, tools and flooring as well as being widely used as firewood.
Growth
Eucalyptus diversicolor is a tall native tree that can reach heights of up to 90 metres (290 feet). Karri grows in a relatively moist patch of forest in Western Australia’s south west. Which makes them easy to grow in most of Australia’s climates, as long as they receive regular water. Outside of their native range a height of around 50 metres is more common but that can take up to 150 years. Due to their large size and deep root system Karri is not recommended in suburban settings.
For the first five years, young Karri trees can grow on average 2 metres (7 feet) per year. Compared to most Eucalyptus species, seedlings require constant moisture to avoid dying off before becoming established.
At some stages the trunk of the tree can sometimes turn an orange colour when the bark is peeling off during autumn. Flowering occurs in spring and summer and produces white flowers attract bees and produce a marketable honey.
FAMILY:
Myrtaceae
CLIMATE:
Cold, Temperate, Sub Tropical.
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
-5 to 35°C / 23 to 95°F
SOIL TYPE:
Well draining soil.
LOCATION:
Full Sun
HEIGHT:
Up to 90 metres (290 feet)
WIDTH:
Up to 25 metres (80 feet)
pH:
5.5-6.5
GROWTH TYPE:
Evergreen
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Low-Medium, more than most of its species.
POLLINATION:
Bees.
MATURITY:
10-15 years
GERMINATION RATES:
84%
GERMINATION TIME:
3-4 weeks
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 70
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
No
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
FACTS ABOUT EUCALYPTUS DIVERSICOLOR (Karri)
The Karri Eucalyptus is Western Australia’s tallest tree and is the second tallest flowering hardwood trees in the world behind Tasmania’s Mountain Ash.
Unlike many Eucalyptus, Karri is not fire resistant and won’t regenerate easily after being burned.
Paper production is one of the key commercial purposes of the Karri tree due to its rapid growth and huge size.
FACTS ABOUT EUCALYPTUS TREES IN GENERAL
Every year Eucalyptus trees add a new layer of bark and the outmost layer dies and peels off. Many of the species are viewed as ornamentals due to the colour contrasts of the trees trunks and branches.
Eucalyptus trees make up around 75% of Australia’s forests and have adapted to the seasonal bushfires with the ability to re-sprout directly after a fire. Studies have found that many Eucalyptus seeds are triggered by the smoke of fires and that sowing with ash in the soil improves germination rates. Eucalyptus oil is so highly flammable that trees have been known to explode during bushfires.
Many Eucalyptus species are grown worldwide for their honey, essential oils and paper pulpwood. As they are considered fast-growing they are also highly sought after for regeneration, water stability and mining closures.
The word Eucalyptus is from two words from Ancient Greece translated to good conceal or well hidden. This refers to the operulum covering over the flower buds during spring and summer.
During Captain Cook’s third voyage to Australia in 1777, David Nelson collected the first Eucalyptus specimen to reach Europe. Eucalyptus trees in Australia take up an area bigger than New South Wales and over seven times the size of England.
The majority of Eucalyptus species do well in a wide range of climates and most can withstand a light frost of −5 °C (23 °F).
