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A EUCALYPT FOR THE (DRIER) HOME GARDEN

Bevan Creagh

Most eucalypts are too big for home gardens, particularly the average town block. However, there is one that can be pruned to fit the available space and still look attractive. This is Eucalyptus grossa, Coarse-leafed Mallee. This plant, from Western Australia, is normally a small straggly tree. If kept pruned, it grows in a neat hemispherical shape with fairly dense foliage. For this reason, it is recommended as a windbreak plant.   I have seen good specimens growing at Acland and on the black soil north-west of Goondiwindi. I have one growing in my garden at Helidon. The flowers are yellow. They tend to grow in clusters close to the stems and are usually unsuitable for cut flowers. I feel that Eucalyptus grossa has a great future in small gardens, because it can be trimmed to fit the site available. As long as it gets adequate water, it is trouble free. For propagators, seed germinates readily.

Coarse-leafed Mallee Eucalyptus grossa. Family Myrtaceae.

(Reproduced from Toowoomba Society for Growing Australian Plants Newsletter, March 1989)

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