Most of you know that Eucalyptus cinerea, also known as the Silver Dollar Gum Tree or Argyle Apple, is commonly used in floral arrangements. But you might not realize how easy it is to grow your own.
Eucalyptus has very fragrant but also beautiful blue-green foliage with a silvery cast. During cold weather, leaves often turn a rosey burgundy. Eucalyptus makes a great specimen plant, but also looks great massed in groups of 3 or more. Bark is cinnamon-colored and exfoliating, adding to the beauty of the tree.
Warm summer breezes send the fragrance of eucalyptus all over the garden.
Eucalyptus cinerea is an evergreen tree that will grow up to 60 feet tall fairly quickly.
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| Eucalyptus cinerea Shady Gardens Nursery |
This variety of Eucalyptus is hardy in USDA Zones 7 to 11, tolerating light frosts with no leaf damage. When temperatures dipped down into the teens here, our trees showed some damage but quickly rebounded. This species has been known to survive winter in Zone 6, where it will die to the ground and resprout if dead foliage is pruned away. Can also be grown indoors in a large container. Just prune it regularly to keep it the size you want.
Eucalyptus cinerea grows rapidly in an irregular form. Give it plenty of space, because the branching can grow quite wide horizontally--this tree can be up to 15 feet wide. A height of 50 or 60 feet can be expected.
Eucalyptus needs full sun and well-drained soil. Hot dry sun is not only preferred but enjoyed.
When you plant, amend the soil with soil conditioner and sand to insure the soil is very well drained. Then water once, at planting time. Do not overwater. That's all there is to growing Eucalyptus in your very own garden.
