Eucalyptus trees

Anyone have experience growing Eucalyptus trees? Which variety? Source?

Hi,

I started 7 different types of Eucalyptus for a client from seeds bought from JL Hudson. They were all quite easily started from seeds and surprisingly fast growers. Here is a link to JL Hudson's page

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/SeedlistES-EZ.htm

These are the species I grew

Eucalyptus burdettiana
Eucalyptus cinerea
Eucalyptus gillii
Eucalyptus globulus
Eucalyptus landsdowneana v albopurpurea
Eucalyptus nutana
Eucalyptus salubria v glauca

The Cinerea (Silver Dollar) is the one you usually see in floral arrangements.

X

This message was edited Dec 20, 2010 10:49 PM

I find it is difficult to find accurate infomation on Eucalyptus. The names seem to be interchangeable in many cases. The one that does best for me is the E. cladocalyx (I think), I bought it a E. Nana about 8 years ago. It has blue/green, elongated leaves and gets covered with small yellow flowers, usually in the winter. This tree towers over my house yet it is called a dwarf. The exfoliating bark is beautiful as are the seeds which have never sprouted so I am assuming it is a hybrid. This one is too tall to get a good picture of - at least with my limited photographic skills. .

Another I grow is what I was told is the peppermint eucalyptus. They grow them at Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Gardens for the Kaola bears to eat. I don't think that is the correct name however as these have very thin blue/green leaves with red veins - hence the peppermint part - I think. In my research it does not match what others call a Peppermint E. This one has been a much slower grower for me.

I have noticed a strange thing here in Charleston---the eucalyptus trees seem to be dying. Trees that I have admired for years, suddenly dead. Even my wife noticed it. Any word of a strange disease taking these trees out? I need to call Clemson...

http://www.australiaplants.com/eucalyptus.htm

That might be useful to you.

I haven't seen any dead eucalyptus around here.

There is a mature Cinerea about 9 feet tall a few doors down and it's going too. I'm thinking the snow from last winter and frigid temperatures are getting to them.

X - could be the case. They're fairly hardy here, but don't live long. Could be the variety; perhaps some are hardier than others. Riverbanks certainly gets colder than it does here!

For the last 3 years or so we have gone from warm to suddenly freezing practically overnight, perhaps they haven't had enough time to acclimate. Oddly enough, there are still lots of trees that still have leaves (albeit dead) stuck on the branches and never turned color here. Bradford Pears especially.

Thanks for all the input. I saw a Eucalyptus tree in a yard in the community I live in just yesterday. I plan to ask the folks there what variety and how old it is. I do not have space for a large tree and was hoping I could find one that was a true dwarf.

There is a nice Eucalyptus tree at Northwest Creek Marina in Fairfield Harbour near New Bern. It faces west, with the marina building to the east, and it's at least 20 feet tall. It's the roundish, silver leaf type, not the long narrow pointed leaf variety. Love the aroma.
Entlie

Actually I checked this tree out yesterday, and it's more like 50 feet tall. Very pretty.
Entlie

Speaking of eucalyptus, an email came out on our neighborhood forum this afternoon that a neighbor had free eucalyptus trimmings from their tree, which were available for the taking in their driveway. A large branch had broken off during the holidays.

I hot-footed it over there with my clippers, and now have a lovely bunch of silver leaved eucalyptus scenting the house.

What a nice freebie!

Entlie