A Grower Perspective

  Are you looking for a good unusual specimen tree or hedge material for your garden?This eucalyptus, commonly known as omeo gum, is very hardy, strongly aromatic with large leaves, white flowers, and sweet rosy purple new leaf growth. The bark is brown and peeling and the mature leaves are oval with a silver-cast blue green color, highly desired by florists for arrangements and wreaths. Eucalyptus neglecta is a fine and unusual tree (15 – 30 feet high x 10-15 feet wide). For a hedge place plants 5 feet on center. It is a very rapid grower and you will be surprised how quickly you have a solid screen. Eucalyptus neglecta grows well in full sun and partial shade. It will tolerate, even thrive in poor and heavy clay soils, water until well established and mulch heavily in late fall to protect roots. This tree can be coppiced if it gets too large, the wood makes excellent firewood. We planted a eucalyptus in the display garden at the nursery. It is surrounded by ‘Golden Gate’ Rhododendron, Blue Oat grass, evergreen huckleberry and daffodil bulbs. A few more will be added to our hedge row on the west side. They will be mixed in with incense cedar and Nellie Stevens holly.