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Eucalyptus is an enormous and fascinating genus. It comprises over 700-800 species, and accounts for more than two-thirds of Australia’s vegetation.
They populate almost every habitat in Australia, from high snowy mountains to arid deserts to tropical rainforests.
 Nearly all species of Eucalyptus go through a change (which may be abrupt or gradual) from juvenile foliage, which is often round and stem-clasping, to distinctly different mature foliage, which is usually long and willowy.
This often comes as a surprise to the gardener who is not expecting this change. But it does explain something that can be initially confusing: Some people will think of Eucalyptus as those large trees in Australia with willowy leaves that Koalas eat, and other people will think of Eucalyptus as those cute little silvery stems they use in floral wreaths and boquets.
Not all eucalyptus species go through this foliage change in the same time frame or manner, and several different species planted together can make for quite a variety of foliage when the plants are young.
Often they will continue to grow juvenile foliage near the base of the tree long after mature foliage has been growing higher up.
In many species the change manifests itself when the tree is about 1 - 2 years old.
Many eucalyptus trees have showy flowers, but the majority of these are the more cold-tender species from desert or subtropical regions.
The more cold-hardy species have white or cream flowers that are not important in adding ornamental value to the tree.
Most species flower after about three to six years of growth. For example, E. gunnii can flower in three years and E. perriniana has been known to flower in as little as two years.
Most flower in spring, some of them even flower in the winter.
It is unfortunate that eucalyptus trees are commonly regarded as not being reliably hardy outside of the subtropics, because it discourages people from planting them in cooler areas.
There are many reasons to plant a eucalyptus - to begin with, they help to control aphids and other insects, most of them will grow rapidly even in poor soil (up to 2,5 m per year), and most of them are very attractive, they have a unique beauty all their own.
And eucalyptus foliage, which shows incredible variety, is excellent for cut foliage in floral arrangements. |
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 Once you have obtained your eucalyptus, it is important to plant it out in its permanent location immediately before it has a chance to become rootbound and lose its vigor.
Generally, they can be planted at any time of the year. However, if you live in a climate where your eucalyptus is expected to be marginally hardy, I would advise planting it in mid-spring so that it can reach the maximum possible size before the following winter.
If you purchased your eucalyptus at a less than ideal time of year for planting, there are several things you can do: you can plant it immediately (with some winter protection).
Or you can pot the eucalyptus up into a somewhat larger pot and place it in a very sunny window indoors (or in a sunroom) just for the winter, then plant the tree in spring. |
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 There is nothing too complex about planting eucalyptus:
Ensure that you have chosen a species appropriate for your site (remember that most demand sun).
Ensure that the eucalyptus is well watered before planting.
Pop the eucalyptus out of its pot and untangle any tangled roots, taking care not to break very many of them.
Set it in the ground just deep enough so that the new soil level will be about ground level or slightly higher than it was in the pot.
Fill the hole back up with the native soil, taking care that the roots remain roughly pointed away from the center as best as possible.
Do not amend the soil in the planting hole or replace it with a different kind of soil. Water the tree in.
When the tree grows straight enough, no extra staking is required. In the other case staking is possible, but not higher than 1.5 m.
When the tree can hold its own, remove the stake.
Eucalyptus trees should not be transplanted.
Eucalyptus are much more sensitive to root damage than normal trees when young.
If you dig it up and fail to get at least 40 - 80% of the roots (this can vary according to the time of year), then the tree is likely to die outright.
Even if it survives transplanting, its vigor will be greatly reduced.
"It is therefore important to ensure that they are planted where they are to grow to maturity in the first place." (Quote from Eucalyptus Nurseries). |
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 Eucalyptus trees do not generally need to be pruned.
However they are very responsive to pruning and will resprout vigorously from very large branches.
A few points should be noted:
* Eucalyptus trees should not be pruned in the autumn in cold climates.
If the cut does not have time to heal before winter, frosts will severely damage the wound, sometimes even killing the whole plant.
However, it is fine to prune eucs anytime from mid-spring to late summer.
In climates with little frost, there are really no restrictions on what time of year eucs can be pruned.
* Eucalyptus should not have their lower branches removed. They should be removed only after they have died on their own. This helps to prevent the tree from becoming top-heavy.
* If the tree is healthy and established, then very vigorous, usually vertical regrowth can be expected after pruning.
If the eucalyptus freezes:
Most species can regrow from the base of the tree. Some species don't do this and are lost.
If a severe freeze strikes, the degree of damage to a eucalyptus is usually not apparent immediately.
On occasion it may even take a year or two to tell whether a certain part of the tree is dead or not.
One major problem tends to be when the bark splits at the base of the tree. When this occurs it is a sign that the growing tissues (cambium) in the tree's trunk have been damaged by cold.
This is especially a problem for younger eucalyptus, because they have very thin bark at the base of the tree which does not insulate the cambium.
Often the top of the tree may appear to survive the cold, only to shrivel when damage to the trunk manifests itself.
It might be possible to reduce this risk by burying the lower trunk in leaves or some other light mulch for the winter.
Source: The Hardy Eucalyptus Page
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