Ribbon Gum

Scientific Name:

Eucalyptus viminaris

Other Names and Species:

Manna Gum
Rough-Barked Manna Gum
Viminalis Gum
White Gum

Origin:

Australia

Appearance:

Ribbon gum ranges from light pinkish-brown to a paler shade of yellow in color. The grain of the wood is straight with a medium and even texture.

Properties:

The wood is reported to a slight odor commonly associated with eucalyptus shoots. Ribbon gum can be somewhat diffuclt to dry properly, as the species is subject to collapse during the process.

Janka Hardness: 1349

Ribbon gum is thirty-four percent harder than teak, about four percent harder than red oak, almost identical to white oak (less than one percent difference), seven percent softer than hard maple, roughly sevety-four percent as hard as hickory or pecan, and sixty-one percent as hard as santos mahogany’s ranking of 2200.

Workability:

Pre-drilling is suggested for nail-down applications as splitting occassionally occurs in the process. Glue holds well with ribbon gum flooring. This species sands and stains fairly well.

Principal Uses:

Ribbon gum’s uses include flooring, panelling, joinery, construction, pulpwood, and railroad ties.