The different winter flowering species are too numerous to do justice to, and some species appear only in restricted areas. But there are a few trees in particular that you can look out for in the different regions of Australia. Down in the southwest, the magnificent karri E.
One of the tallest trees in Australia, and the tallest in Western Australia, the karri's lovely creamy white flowers may be best seen from the forest floor where they have fallen from the up to 75 metre tree tops. Look out also for the pink-flowering of caesia E. Northern Australian species are more similar across east to west than southern species and don't experience seasonal change in the way southern species do.
Up north the creamy white-flowered desert bloodwood E. The small, white flowers of the long-fruited bloodwood E.
The orange pom pom like flowers of the Scarlet gum 'E. North Queensland Clarkson's bloodwood E. More colourful is the splendid scarlet gum E. Southern Queensland and northern New South Wales can look out for the white flowers of the narrow-leaved grey box E.
Winter-flowering eucalypts in eastern Australia tend to have white flowers, relying on insects and mammals for pollination. The Blue-leaved stringy bark E. A more colourful counterpart includes the mugga, or red ironbark E. The South Australian cup gum 'E. Further south, the iconic species is probably the South Australian blue gum E. The summer to autumn-flowering Pink gum E. Native to South Australia, the cup gum E. With such a plethora of foliage to brighten up the coldest winter walk, there's little excuse for not visiting the winter flowering eucalypts this season.
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RHS Christmas gifts. Help us achieve our goals Make a donation. Join the RHS today and support our charity Join now. Save to My scrapbook. Eucalyptus amkes a useful foliage plant. Credit: RHS Herbarium. Quick facts. Those available in Britain are usually considered hardy Difficulty Easy. Planting Before planting , do not incorporate any manure, as this will encourage too much leafy growth. Most notably, eucalyptus is grown for its potent essential oils , which are commonly derived from the species E.
These fragrant oils are used in many different ways; medicinally, for their cleansing properties, and to scent perfumes and fragrances. All parts of the eucalyptus plant produce these oils, but they are most commonly derived through steam distillation of the leaves.
Because eucalyptus is rich in these compounds that are highly volatile, the plants are of some concern to firefighters because they can very quickly burn. On very hot days, forests of eucalyptus can be seen shrouded in a fog. This is actually caused by oil compounds of the plant becoming vaporized due to the heat. Related: 16 Top Fragrant Indoor Plants. Eucalyptus are easy, fast-growing plants, and they like well-drained , consistently moist soils. If you are planting one as a tree, be aware these are water-hungry plants.
In a container, use any general purpose potting media, and make sure to plant them in a large pot. Eucalyptus are fast growers, and their roots can quickly fill a small container. As far as exposure, eucalyptus needs full sun , which helps plants grow sturdy and promotes better branching, brighter silver foliage, and higher oil content. If you are trying eucalyptus as a houseplant, or overwintering one, give it as much sun as possible in the home. Usually a bright southern exposure will work best.
If you are planting eucalyptus in an area where they are hardy, the plant can become invasive. Studies show that eucalyptus trees may exhibit allelopathic affects on some species of plants, which is when a plant releases a toxin into the soil so that competing plants cannot grow.
There is still some uncertainty as to the level of allelopathy that eucalyptus trees have, but it's still something to consider when planting.
Eucalyptus trees are also notorious for being messy. As many species age, they shed portions of their bark, littering the ground below. On the plus side, this exfoliating bark can be quite beautiful, especially during the winter. Some species, like E. This species is also known as the rainbow eucalyptus , and as the bark exfoliates, depending on the age, the plants color differently.
So whole trunks can be varying shades of yellows, greens, reds, and purples. Many species of eucalyptus have different-shaped leaves, depending on the maturity of the plant.
Leaves may begin as round and coin-shape, then as the plants age, become long, lance-shape leaves. Don't be alarmed if you plant seeds and they aren't quite what you expect. The trees may just need to grow into their proper shape. Eucalyptus globulus 'Compacta' is a fast-growing tree that usually remains less than 30 feet tall, and it's easy to keep trimmed to 10 feet tall.
Leaves on immature plants are circular and blue; mature plants produce green sickle-shape leaves inches long. Dwarf blue gum bears creamy-white flowers in winter, followed by bluish seed capsules in summer that drop from the tree, making this somewhat of a nuisance tree.
Zones Eucalyptus citriodora is a large tree that grows feet tall and spreads feet wide. The tree has two forms of leaves: Juvenile foliage is rough and sandpapery; mature leaves are smooth and glossy.
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