Eucalyptus is a versatile plant in the home and garden. Houseplant enthusiasts adore the fragrance it brings to the home. In the landscape, eucalyptus makes a striking accent with gorgeous foliage and colorful bark. Eucalyptus plants are easy to care for and can be grown in containers, maintained as a shrub, or allowed to mature into a tree. They are often trained as a standard.
The aromatic foliage of eucalyptus takes on two distinct shapes: juvenile and adult. The silver coin-shaped juvenile foliage gives eucalyptus its common name, silver dollar tree. This is the striking blue foliage widely used in fresh and dried flower arrangements. Adult foliage is elongated, waxy, and a muted green color. In spring, small white flowers appear on mature trees. Plants can be pruned to maintain juvenile foliage and a more compact habit.
Plant Attributes Eucalyptus CareEucalyptus is a fast-growing plant that can put on 6 to 8 feet of new growth in a season. In locations where it is winter hardy, eucalyptus is commonly grown as a landscape tree or pruned to maintain a bushy habit for use as a wind break or in mixed borders. In colder regions, eucalyptus must be overwintered indoors or grown as an annual shrub from seedlings planted in spring. Plants are drought tolerant once established and resist deer browsing. Salt and wind tolerance makes eucalyptus useful in coastal landscapes.
LightEucalyptus grows in full sun, requiring at least 6 hours of direct sun per day.
SoilPlants are drought tolerant once established. They perform well in dry to medium soils with good drainage.
WaterEucalyptus has low to moderate water needs. Young plants require more water to support growth and establish roots. Water deeply to encourage deep
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