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Eucalyptus

For Koala Bears

There are said to be some five hundred species of Eucalyptus, but the following would be my selection of the hardier and ornamental varieties, some hardy down to minus 15°C and some to minus 18°C. Others are more suitable for conservatories or mild locations. Grown readily from seed (this is the only way to propagate them as cuttings are almost impossible to strike), and best planted the following year while still young. Eucalyptus do not like root disturbance and should be carefully pricked out, either very early at the two leaf stage or later, when the plant will handle the shock better. They will need staking and are notorious for falling over, partly because of their fast growing nature and being evergreen they suffer from winter storms. The trick is to stake them very low down allowing them to bend and strengthen but holding the roots steady.

Be aware they grow VERY LARGE VERY QUICKLY. Do not plant one of these near your house other than for a few years of summer bedding. On the other hand although they grow tall, I find that the canopy is not oppressive, letting in plenty of light enhanced by reflections of the silvery foliage. All you will need to complete the picture is a Koala Bear!

Germination of eucalyptus seed (most very small in size) can often be erratic and patchy, but on the other hand you don’t need many! If you see Eucalyptus trees in your local garden centre growing tall and above 4ft tall do not buy them, they are best planted young and small which gives them the best chance to develop a stronger root system. To my mind seed is a really good option, easy to raise for stronger plants and for a wider selection of varieties.

PLEASE NOTE: If the Seeds per Pkt gives you a count the variety will be from "Clean" seed, if it says Pr Pkt, the seed will be collected including some chaff and difficult to count. The Measure should be enough for 10 or more plants but will vary depending on the ratio of seeds to chaff in any one variety mix.

Eucalyptus caesia magna

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Silver Princess Gum 20 seeds ■●җ

Eucalyptus caesia magna - a smaller species with silvery grey leaves on pendulous white frosted branches and contrasting reddish stems. The buds and fruits are large and glaucous, the flowers are pink to red and nearly ever blooming. This species needs good drainage and is drought resistant. It is reported to bloom at 5 years of age and large gumnuts making this an attractive specimen. Moderate frost tolerance to about -5°C once mature.

For more red flowered semi hardy gums see Eucalyptus ficifolia, Eucalyptus leucoxylon megalocarpa, Eucalyptus leucoxylon petiolaris and Eucalyptus sideroxylon rosea.

Eucalyptus cinerea

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Silver Dollar Eucalyptus (Pr Pkt) ■●җ

Eucalyptus cinerea is an attractive eucalyptus with silvery, rounded leaves often used in dried arrangements. A small tree or large shrub sometimes reaching 40’ and more commonly seen in florists arrangements. Tender though not tolerating much below -5°C. Good for a cold greenhouse and it can be pollarded to produce sprays of young shoots for cutting.

Eucalyptus citriodora

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Lemon Gum 10 seeds ■●

Eucalyptus citriodora is a tall water hungry tree to 50m in warm climates but can be kept pollarded if grown in a pot for the UK. It is not frost hardy and not suitable for growing outside all year round in mainland England. The lemon scented leaves are used to produce an essential oil used as an antiseptic or insect repellent. A herbal tea can be made using an infusion of the leaves for treatment of fever. I have seen it mentioned to use as a herb on food but Eucalyptus oils can be mutagenic and it would not be my advice to use it this way. On the plus side and quick from seed it will make an excellent highly lemon scented patio pot plant for the summer with long lance shaped bright green leaves.

Eucalyptus coccifera

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Mountain Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Eucalyptus coccifera is an attractive tree to 25m that makes a good specimen. One of the most cold hardy eucalyptus that will grow in a wide range of soil types and in most situations. Extremely hardy and frost tolerant. Smaller leaves and slower growing than some, a useful eucalyptus for the smaller garden.

Eucalyptus dalrympleana

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Mountain Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Eucalyptus dalrympleana is a really beautiful tree with pale grey to white mottled bark turning a spectacular pink and grey late summer.; At minus 15°C in an exposed position this tree appears very happy. The sight of a full grown tree covered with hard frost in mid winter or covered with snow white blossom in spring makes it one of my favourites (the bees love it too!). The blue/grey adult leaves are long and scythe like, very often showing red tints on the old leaves - but again beware, this is a fast and large growing tree although the canopy is thin and graceful.

Eucalyptus deanei

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Mountain Blue Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ

A very beautiful, large Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus deanei has smooth attractive bark in colours of white, yellow and red, and pink-tinged juvenile foliage. Extremely fast growing and adaptable. Not fully tested for hardiness in the UK, but it will probably tolerate -10°C to -12°C. A UK customer told me about this variety who said that it was growing very well for him so well worth a try.

Eucalyptus debeuzevillei

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Jounama Snow Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Similar to Niphophila and a sub species of pauciflora, Eucalyptus debeuzevillei has more of a robust look, the stiff blue/white glaucous leaves are larger and the bark attractively mottled. Smaller twigs have a distinct white/blue blush. This very attractive tree is said to be the hardiest, and so far I have never observed the slightest scorching of the leaves down to about -15°C

Eucalyptus elliptica

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Bendemeer White Gum 10 seeds ■●җ җ

Eucalyptus elliptica, a sub species of E mannifera, is hardy to around -15°C. An attractive medium size tree with striking smooth powdery white bark shedding ribbons of old bark to reveal attractive yellow, grey or orange patches. The young leaves are like many juvenile Eucalyptus, being elliptical and glaucous, however the curved adult leaves are an attractive blue green and quite long similar to dalrympleana.

Eucalyptus erythrocorys

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Candle Bark Gum 10 seeds ■●җ

For a good yellow flowering Eucalyptus, Erythrocorys one of the most spectacular with flowers up to 7 cm across. The flowers are preceded by large rectangular scarlet buds, hence the name, followed by large fruits that can weigh the tree down. Foliage is dark green and sickle-shaped. The bark is creamy with a few rough brown patches. Not a large tree therefore suitable for container growing and hardy to about -5°C.

Eucalyptus ficifolia

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Red Flowering Gum 10 seeds ■●

If you have a micro climate that supports only a couple of degrees of frost you have to try Eucalyptus ficifolia! All of the hardy eucalyptus have white flowers, but overseas there are some lovely red flowering varieties, this being one of the hardiest. The flower bunches are about 6" across, and appear all over the tree in terminal racemes. My own tree shown in the picture is grown in a cold greenhouse but I would just love to be able to plant it outside. An excellent subject for the cold conservatory.

Eucalyptus glaucescens

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Tingiringi Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Eucalyptus glaucescens is a lovely Eucalyptus fairly hardy to -15°C. My tree came originally from the US as seed in a mixed packet and we now collect our own seed from this beautiful tree in our garden. The long adult leaves are particularly glaucus and of a pale shade of blue grey with a hint of mauve not seen in many other hardy eucalyptus. I finally managed to identify our tree in 2004 from pictures found on the internet.

Eucalyptus globulus

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Tasmainian Blue Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ

Eucalyptus globulus is another excellent summer bedding plant for tropical effect, with large leaves of a stunning silver grey. Many years ago I grew this tree outside in London where it survived several winters until cut down by a hard frost even though it was by then some 30' tall! Over wintered after the first year in a well lit conservatory it will put on an excellent show the following summer bedded out. If you have space in a warm microclimate though do try it out of doors as it will take about minus 5°C to minus 8°C once established. The plant in the picture taken in August is in its first year from seed from a late May sowing, an earlier sowing should produce a 4' to 5' plant by the end of the summer.

Eucalyptus gunnii

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Cider Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

One of the best known gums for the UK garden, Eucalyptus gunnii has smaller adult leaves, a most attractive eucalyptus with bright blue white leaves and silvery young branches. It is very hardy and again has never shown signs of any frost burn in my own garden. The adult leaves are also less scythe like and more rounded in shape.

Eucalyptus Hardy Collection

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Mixed Hardy Gums (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ

A mixture of all our hardy Eucalyptus.

Eucalyptus leucoxylon megalocarpa

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Large-Fruited Blue Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ

Eucalyptus Leucoxylon (Subspecies Megalocarpa.) – is an excellent small gum tree with large red flowers through autumn and winter with large decorative fruits up to 2cm long. It usually grows to between 6 and 10 metres high in its native habitat, with a short trunk and a spreading crown, but probably smaller if you can find a place to grow it in the UK. It is a very hardy red flowered form suitable for most soils and climates including costal sites and sand. Capable of withstanding frost down to about minus 7°C it makes an excellent ornamental tree for a sheltered light frost location.

For more red flowered semi hardy gums see Eucalyptus caesia, Eucalyptus ficifolia, Eucalyptus leucoxylon petiolaris and Eucalyptus sideroxylon rosea.

Eucalyptus leucoxylon petiolaris

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Eyre Peninsula Blue Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ

Eucalyptus Leucoxylon (Subspecies petiolaris.) – another excellent small gum tree with large red flowers through autumn and winter with large decorative ribbed fruits up to 2cm long. It usually grows to between 6 and 10 metres high in its native habitat, with a short trunk and a more open crown than megalocarpa. It is a very hardy red flowered form suitable for most soils and climates including costal sites and sand. Capable of withstanding frost down to about -7°C it should make an excellent ornamental tree for a sheltered light frost location.

For more red flowered semi hardy gums see Eucalyptus caesia, Eucalyptus ficifolia, Eucalyptus leucoxylon megalocarpa and Eucalyptus sideroxylon rosea.

Eucalyptus niphophila

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Snow Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Eucalyptus niphophila is known as the snow gum because of its native habitat above the mountain snow lines. The tree has a definite white bloom to the leaves and the grey white bark is augmented by the white flower clusters produced in the spring, as shown in the photograph. The leaves are of a heavier make up than other species, able to stand severe frosts. This is one of the hardiest and most attractive species to grow although slower growing than some.

Eucalyptus nitens

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Shining Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Grown mainly for a wood crop in Australia because of its fast growth and hardiness, Eucalyptus nitens replaces Globulus in colder areas. However it has very large ornamental leaves similar to Globulus and is proving hardy in the UK even as a young tree. If you have room it should make a stunning display, but even as a small tree the juvenile leaves are very ornamental.

Eucalyptus nitida

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Peppermint gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ

Eucalyptus nitida has attractive shiny green adult leaves, is fast growing, reasonably tolerant of adverse conditions and hardy down to about -10°C to -15°C. The younger foliage has more of a typical grey/blue Eucalyptus hue and smell strongly of peppermint.

Eucalyptus papuana

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Ghost Gum 5 seeds ■●җ

We have included this famous tree after many customer requests. The Australian Ghost Gum, Eucalyptus papuana, is also termed the “widow maker”, due to the high number of pioneer tree-felling workers who were killed by falling branches, as they shed whole and very large branches to conserve water during periods of drought. Slow growing with stunning pure white bark, it will only tolerate frost to about -5°C, but ideal for a few years as a small conservatory tree?

Eucalyptus pauciflora

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Snow Gum or Weeping Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Eucalyptus pauciflora is an excellent Eucalyptus with large stiff blue/white glaucous leaves and attractively mottled bark. Smaller twigs have a distinct red/orange tint. This attractive tree is very hardy with superb bark markings and as the tree develops the branches start to weep under the weight of the large leaves.

Eucalyptus perinniana

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Spinning Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Eucalyptus perinniana is known as the spinning gum because of the juvenile foliage that encircles the stems. As the tree ages they dry up and break free from the growth point still encircling the stem and “spin” in the wind hence the name. I prefer the adult foliage with long scythe shaped leaves hanging attractively on the branches. The bark of the main trunk has more of a mottled cinnamon colour rather than silver or grey. One extra benefit is the sweet scent when in flower, like burnt cinnamon, that permeates the garden and the bees just love it.

Eucalyptus Pink Flowered Collection

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Mixed Pink Flowered Gums (Pr Pkt) ■●җ

A mixture of all of the above pink flowered, semi hardy Eucalyptus.

Eucalyptus risdonii

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Peppermint Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ

Eucalyptus risdonii is a rare Gum, from a small area of Tasmania, with intensely blue, stem-clasping juvenile leaves which smell of peppermint. Grows quickly into a small tree. It has smooth bark and is quite floriferous at maturity but unfortunately only hardy to about -8°C.

Eucalyptus rodwayi

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Swamp Gum 10 seeds ■☻җ җ ♥

Eucalyptus rodwayi is hardy to about -15°c. A small tree with white flowers in late summer with rough grey bark and long thin glossy green leaves. Quite rare in the UK and recently being considered for Biomass projects. It is a swamp gum and tolerates very wet ground with a high water table.

Eucalyptus rubida

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Candle Bark Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ

Eucalyptus rubida is a beautiful tree, not quite so hardy as the others but nevertheless surviving frosts to about minus 12°C with just a few burnt leaves. The new growth in spring has a lovely lilac tint as you can see from the photograph and as the weather cools down the older leaves can take on quite a reddish hue. The young deep red stems are also quite glossy which adds to the overall attraction.

Eucalyptus sideroxylon rosea

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Red Iron Bark (Pr Pkt) ■●җ

The "Rosea" form of the Red Ironbark is a seed selection that is red flowering. In all other attributes, it is identical to the species, but typically will grow slightly smaller. The growth is normally upright on juvenile trees, but trees begin spreading with age and can become 15m high and 15m wide. The bark of this tree gives it its common name; Red Ironbarks have deeply fissured plate-like bark that is a rusty red beneath and black on the surface. This bark contrasts well with the foliage, which is dark green to grey-blue. Frost hardy we think to about -6°C

For more red flowered semi hardy gums see Eucalyptus ficifolia, Eucalyptus leucoxylon megalocarpa, Eucalyptus leucoxylon petiolaris and Eucalyptus caesia.

Eucalyptus urnigera

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Urn Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ

Eucalyptus urnigera the urn gum grows in a small area of south eastern Tasmania. It grows at altitudes up to 900m, often on steep rocky slopes of mountains in sub alpine woodland. Easily grown and excellent for ornamental planting with young leaves displaying a distinct purple hue and excellent bark markings.

Eucalyptus viminalis

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Manna Gum (Pr Pkt) ■●җ җ җ

Eucalyptus viminalis is a straight erect tree, to around 40 metres, with a rough bark that peels away in long "ribbons" Widely distributed in the cooler areas of Australia where the leaves are the favoured food of Koalas as the sap has a 5–15% sugar content. Its grey/ green attractive simple leaves are lanceolet in shape and up to 15cm long. Hardy to about -15c its well worth a try in the UK.

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Symbol Codes

Germination -- Easy ■ Moderate ■ and Challenging ■

Backlog for Fresh Seed ♦ Flavour ♪

Hardiness - To -5°C җ To -10°C җҗ Fully Hardy җҗҗ

Needs Shady Position ● Sunny Position ● Water Loving ♥