blackbutt

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BLACKBUTT

Eucalyptus spp.
Eucalyptus spp. of the family Myrtaceae. My database lists over 2 dozen Eucalyptus species that use the common name blackbutt, with some common names indicating place of origin, some indicating discoverer, and various others. I do not know what, if any, differences there are among the various species that use this common name, nor do I know what wood(s) is(are) represented by any of the pics on this page unless it is specificially noted with a pic. The color/grain is all over the map and I cannot comment on which ones are likely to be accurate. Many of the varieties are very popular as flooring and decking wood in Australia.

David Clark, author of "Timber in Australia in Colour" (yeah, he's Australian and can't spell) tells me that the primary "blackbutt" timbers are:

Eucalyptus pilularis --- a species that grows in New South Wales and Southern Queensland. This species is a very strong commercial species in Eastern Australia and is widely use for flooring and furniture.

Eucalyptus andrewsii and Eucalyptus campanulata --- two species that grow in New South Wales and Southern Queensland and which are generally lumped together with the common name New England blackbutt

Eucalyptus patens --- Western Australian Blackbutt, only found in south-west Western Australia.

Eucalyptus dundasii --- Dundas Blackbutt, a very limited species, grows in Western Australia

The reason for the name "blackbutt" is that The base of the trunk is covered in old blackish bark.

my samples:
NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K)
colors will vary under other lighting conditions

quartersawn blackbutt veneer --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was contributed to the site by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. David tells me this is Eucalyptus pilularis.

flat cut blackbutt veneer --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sheet was contributed to the site by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

web pics:

planks with no species indicated

fiddleback slab just listed as blackbutt

plank pics provided by Robert Briggs, with my thanks

Robert Briggs provided these two pics of a plank, with the first pic taken in artificial light and the second in daylight

planks listed as Eucalyptus pilularis

glulam listed as blackbutt / Eucalyptus pilularis

plank listed as Dundas blackbutt, Eucalyptus dundassi

plank listed as Goldfield's blackbutt, but with the botanical name Eucalyptus dundasii, but these two names do not normally go together and one or the other may be incorrect for this pic, as Goldfield's blackbutt is normally given as Eucalyptus lesouefii whereas Eucalyptus dundasii is normally given the common name Dundas blackbutt