Features:
Common name: Tasmanian blue gum
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Australia
Height at maturity: 15 to 30 meters
Hardiness: -6°C
Exposure: sunny
Plant type: tree
Vegetation: perennial
Foliage: evergreen
Flowering: spring
Flower color: cream white
Soil type: normal, sandy
Watering: regular
Use: garden, isolated, pot on terrace
Diseases and insect pests:
Toxicity:
Storage of seeds: 2 years in a dry place away from light at 3/4°C (refrigerator)
Description:
Eucalyptus globulus is fast growing and large in size reaching up to 30 meters high. A large part of the tree is used in pharmacopoeia.
The blue gum tree is a mild climate tree that was introduced in Europe for its high growth rate and for the quality of its wood used in stationery. It is of course cultivated for its ornamental qualities and its moderate resistance to cold.
The stems and juvenile leaves are very different from the adult foliage: the young stems are quadrangular and glaucous while the leaves are broad and white-blue in color. The adult leaves begin to appear when the tree reaches a height of approximately 2 meters.
The cream-coloured flowers are solitary in the axils of the leaves and produce abundant nectar which bees transform into a strong-flavored honey.
This species tolerates sea spray.
The blue gum tree has been proclaimed as the floral emblem of Tasmania (Australia).
