Eucalyptus cinerea

San Diego, CA(Zone 10b)

I am very curious. Does the shape of Silver Dollar gum leaves change when they get older, or a couple of pictures of that plant on plantfiles are mismatched.
Does anybody know?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51537/

Thumbnail by robcorreia
Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

Yes, they do change when they get older. The short, broad leaves are juvenile (on seedlings, saplings and root sprouts), the longer, slender sickle-shaped leaves are adult (on mature trees).

This applies to a greater or lesser extent to most (if not all) Eucalyptus.

Resin

Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

Forgot to mention - also, juvenile Eucalyptus leaves are opposite, adult ones are alternate.

Resin

San Diego, CA(Zone 10b)

Bummer! I by far prefer the rounded ones. If I keep it potted up, will it stay small enough to keep the juvenile leaves?

Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

If you coppice it, the regrowth will have juvenile leaves for a few years, then coppice again, and so on.

Resin

San Diego, CA(Zone 10b)

Thanks Resin. Sounds good because I intend to use the leaves for flower arrangements anyway! Do the roots get huge if I keep coppicing (sp?) it? If they don't I'll plant them in the ground, but it they do, I'll pot it up....
Thanks again.
Rob

Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

The coppicing will stop the root system from growing huge, so safe to plant in the ground.

Coppicing like this is how commercial florists maintain their supplies of Eucalyptus foliage, you're not starting anything new!

Resin

San Diego, CA(Zone 10b)

Ha! That's awesome. That's exactly why I wanted one of those. I absolutely love the smell of the leaves in vases. Thanks for your clarifications on this Resin!
Roberta

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