eucalptus oil from the leaves?

[sandyshore]

is it possible for me to get eucalptus oil from the leaves? i am surrounded by a managed eucalptus forest which smells delicious.

[mrsflibble]

I remember readong somewhere that it requires distilling but I'm not sure. this is about all i could get from google
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh ... 4.html#pre

[Clara]

Do you know or can you find out the exact species that is growing?

The reason I say this is because there are over 600 varieties of Eucalypts, only about 20 of which are suitable for essential oil production. And unless you are prepared to go down the route of having your oil analysed, I personally (as a clinical aromatherapist) wouldn´t bother - the reason I say this is there are desirable and undesirable components that are present in different levels in different oils (this varies not only from species to species but also from plot to plot). If you don´t have the desirable 1,8-cineole in your produced oil then it will have no therapeutic benefit, and if you have too high a concentraton of phellendrenes that is very undesirable.

Sadly even if the trees are being grown for commercial EO production, this is still no guarantee of quality as much Eucalyptus EO is rectified after distillation.

Sorry to poo-poo your idea, but it is far more complex than many realise.

[ina]

Not on the subject of oil, but wood: there's a eucalyptus in my garden that I need to get rid of (it's leaning dangerously over the neighbour's fence, and every time we have a gale - not unfrequent! - I'm worried it may come down). Is it suitable for burning in an ordinary woodburner? Or does it have oil contents that might make it undesirable? I have no idea which variety it is, of course, not having planted it myself - but it's one that manages to grow in Scotland.

[Clara]

Probably one for my OH who is a tree surgeon, I shall ask later!

My opinion is that it would probably be ok - the EO is only extracted from the leaves, which suggests that the oil content in the trunk and limbs is negligible. Furthermore I think you should remove it ASAP as they can come down quite easily, I´m sure I´ve heard that the wood is good for construction too - but in my mind that plays at odds with the fact that they come down so easily

[ina]

but in my mind that plays at odds with the fact that they come down so easily

Could it be because of a shallow root system?

[Jack]

Gidday

Yep they are fairly shallow rooted is they were not grown in-situ from seeds. Actually, the root ball may have a kink in it and it can easily break in a high wind.

As for identifying the species, in this country there are 495 species and over 400 are considered to be common. To get a positive ID on the variety, you have to have a sample of the lower bark, the upper bark, the juvilile leaves, the mature leaves, the fruit and the flowers and there are only a handful of people can then really tell.

Biggest trouble is that some are good for almost everything that wood can be used for and some are good for nothing except firsewood, but almost all are at least good for that.

[Sky]

Yes they make excellent firewood once seasoned.

[marshlander]

dried leaves smell good in pot pourie or linen bags

[mrsflibble]

would the leaves work in wheat bags too?

[marshlander]

Never tried it - but I'm going to!
Maybe a few drops of essential oil would be easier though.

[marshlander]

Looked in the herb society's medicinal herbal today:

You can use the leaves as an inhalation: Pour boiling water over a few leaves and inhale the steam for chest infections.

You can make cold infused oil - similar but less potent than essential oil: Tightly pack a jar with leaves. Cover with oil and leave on a sunny windowcill for 3 weeks. Strain through muslin or a jelly bag, squeezing out as much as poss. Repeat reusing the once infused oil over a fresh lot of leaves.