Karri

Eucalyptus diversicolor

Among the tallest hardwoods in the world, reaching 90 m, with smooth shedding bark mottled cream and pink. Pale, strong, dense timber used for structural beams, flooring, and panelling.

Hardiness ratings

Karri hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 9–11 −6.7 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H3 −5 °C to 1 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 9 −1 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 3–7 −5 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Heartwood — pale pinkish, dense, very strong, used for structural beams, flooring, joinery, and historically for railway sleepers and ships’ keels
  • Among the tallest hardwoods in the world — only mountain ash (E. regnans) and coast redwood exceed it
  • Smooth shedding bark mottled cream, pink, and grey — strikingly photogenic, a major draw of the southwestern WA forests
  • Endemic to southwestern Western Australia — does not grow naturally outside a small area between Manjimup and Walpole
  • Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.

Pet caution: Karri is listed as potentially harmful to cats and/or dogs. Keep pets from grazing on it, and contact a vet if you suspect your animal has eaten some.

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Karri against your zones

Reference

Karri on Wikipedia