Eucalyptus obliqua seeds grow into the messmate stringybark a large, long-lived tree native to the temperate biome of south-eastern Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT, Tasmania and South Australia, where it dominates vast areas of cool-temperate and montane wet sclerophyll forest. This is the first eucalyptus ever to be formally described scientifically collected during James Cook’s first voyage and described by L’Hritier in 1788, with the epithet obliqua referring to the oblique leaf base that is characteristic. The deeply furrowed, stringy, brown bark (‘messmate’ and ‘stringybark’ refer to this character) is immediately distinctive. The timber is hard, durable and one of the most commercially important in the Australian forest industry. Family Myrtaceae.

Full sun to partial shade; adaptable to a range of moist, well-drained soils; cool-temperate to subtropical conditions.

• The first eucalyptus formally described scientifically (L’Hritier, 1788); ‘obliqua’ = oblique leaf base
• Deeply furrowed stringy brown bark the classic ‘messmate stringybark’ character
• SE. Australia (Vic, NSW, ACT, Tasmania, SA) temperate biome; cool-temperate wet forest
• Hard, durable timber; one of the most commercially important in Australian forestry
• Full sun to partial shade; moist well-drained soils; cool-temperate to subtropical

Eucalyptus obliqua holds a unique place in botanical history as the first eucalyptus ever formally described the messmate stringybark’s distinctive stringy bark, durable timber and dominance of the great cool-temperate forests of south-eastern Australia give it both scientific significance and immense ecological importance.

IMPORTANT: Pictures show the adult plant, which is not for sale. The offer is only for seeds.