Botanical Name: Eucalyptus Saligna
Other Names: Sydney Blue Gum, NZ Red Eucalypt
Source location: New Zealand
Stability: Class 2, Durable 15-25 years
Density: Approximately 660 kg/m3
Appearance: Saligna is a light to dark pink/reddish eucalypt which naturally ages to a silvery grey. It is heavy, fairly hard, with a course, even texture, reasonably easy to work. The grain is usually interlocked, occasionally straight.
Sustainability: Saligna is plantation grown in New Zealand, mainly in the North Island. It is an exceptionally fast growing timber averaging 30 years to grow to commercial harvest size. New Zealand has approximately 28000 hectares planted in eucalypts with a median age of less than 10 years.
Finishes: Saligna timber is a very dense hardwood and thus does not suit most timber finishes. Our experience has shown that the finishes to not penetrate into the hardwood thus resulting in poor adhesion and a tendency to ‘sheet’ off within a few months. Our recommendation is to leave the timber unfinished allowing it to age naturally.
Leaching: New Saligna timber is prone to leaching in wet weather for approximately 6 to 8 weeks after installation. Customers must be aware that the residue can stain concrete or paved surfaces during the leaching period. The staining will gradually fade away on its own, but can be accelerated by applying a cleaner to the surface with a light scrubbing.
