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The wonderful native flora
of Australia, this exotic
foliage is a sheer joy!
Eucalyptus’s menthol oily
leaves are perfect for use
in flower bouquets, with
their aroma and dramatic
silvery blue foliage. The
flowers of the Eucalyptus
bear no obvious petals,
instead displaying hundreds
of white fluffy stamens. The
fruits of the "blue gum" are
unusual - forming hardy
clusters and releasing seeds
once the fruits are ripe.
The perfect foliage to
complement a variety of
flowers, perhaps most
notably roses, this member
of the "myrtle" family is
much more than foliage for
use in the flower industry.
It is a huge part of life in
Australia. Think Australia;
think Koala! The eucalyptus
is a crucial part of the
Koala and Possums habitat
and wherever you go in
Australia, eucalyptus
species are everywhere.
Every year, the woody stems
of the eucalyptus shed their
bark, peeling back to expose
a wonderful marbling effect,
in different colours from
dark green to silvery blues.
The eucalyptus tree has now
been cultivated and
developed enough to
withstand the European
climate, making it an
excellent addition to many
an English garden. Indeed,
the "Eucalyptus Pauciflora"
variety should be a good
specimen to plant here in
the UK, as it is frost
tolerant to -20°C.
Did you know?
There are over 700 species of
eucalyptus, with the
"Mountain Ash" variety among
the tallest trees in the
world.
Never camp under the
branches of the eucalyptus
tree, as they are prone to
breaking off and falling to
the ground in their
entirety!
The crowns of the eucalyptus
tree are rich in oil that
can sometimes be seen
sending off a "blue haze" at
certain times of the day -
at the Blue Mountains on the
out skirts of New South
Wales, for example. At
times, the temperature of
these oils rises to such a
level that the trees have
been known to explode in to
flames.
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