Gum Tree
Latin Name : Eucalyptus gunnii
A Large Evergreen Tree
Native mainly in Australia, in all probability the species of Eucalypyus that you will come across is Eucalyptus gunnii. Eucalyptus is an evergreen and unusual in respect that it has juvenile and mature foliage, the juvenile being a striking silvery-blue with opposite round leaves. The mature type is a more typically ‘leaf’ shaped and a more greeny-blue. They unfortunately have the tendency to bend or even fall over because of the vigorous evergreen top growth. Regular pruning from the outset and growing as a bush will tame it and keep the attractive juvenile foliage.
The mature foliage and flowers
Whilst they are not completely hardy in the UK, ‘gunnii’ is probably the most commonly seen in Garden Centres because of its attractive juvenile foliage (commonly used by Florists). What you won’t see in that situation is the mature foliage or the flowers.
Decorative Juvenile Foliage
The silvery-blue juvenile foliage grows rapidly and will give a good show if kept cut back in the Spring – watch out for the Koalas !
Deciduous Bark
Starting when it is young with a smooth bark, it matures to this flakey deciduous bark.
The Rainbow Eucalyptus is a native of the Philippines and surrounding area, so you won’t see it here …
