Learn how to grow eucalyptus for their hardiness, fragrance, and speedy growth.
Eucalyptus is grown for its potent essential oils, commonly derived from theE.
globulus.These fragrant oils are used to scent perfumes and fragrances.
Credit: Denny Schrock
ensure there’s plenty of room around it so it can grow big and wide.
That’s when a plant releases toxins into the soil so competing plants can’t grow.
Choose an area of your home with a south-facing window so the plant can get plenty of sunlight.
Credit: Denny Schrock
robustaas invasive for their allelopathic tendencies.
Water the tree both before you transplant it to the ground and after it’s planted.
Eucalyptus Care Tips
Eucalyptus are fast-growing plants that can be challenging to grow outside their natural habitat.
Credit: Denny Schrock
If you’re planting one as a tree, be aware these are thirsty plants.
Water at least once a week if potted, and check that soil is dry before watering outdoors.
Temperature and Humidity
Eucalyptus do well in moderate temperatures, between 65oF and 75oF.
Credit: Denny Schrock
A bit of humidity is good for eucalyptus plants.
Trees and plants in your yard won’t need fertilizer.
Potting and Repotting Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus are fast growers; their roots can quickly fill a small container.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Choose the right species for your landscape environment before planting.
Usually, a bright southern exposure will work best.
Pests and Problems
The longhorned borer beetle attacks eucalyptus in California.
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They create holes in the bark where liquid will ooze out.
Cut a 5-inch branch and dip it in rooting hormone.
Add the branch to a pot with growing medium.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Set the pot in indirect sunlight to keep the plant at around 70oF.
In about a month, roots should form.
This will simulate winter and promote germination.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Date the bag and place it in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 weeks.
Lemon-scented gum bears small white flowers in winter.
Some experts have reclassified this tree asCorymbia citriodora.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Zones 9-11
Rainbow Gum
Eucalyptus degluptagets its name from itsmulticolor bark.
Fallen bark also makes great mulch.
Red Flowering Gum
Eucalyptus ficifoliais one of the showiest eucalyptus trees.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
The tree grows 25 to 40 feet tall and wide.
Botanists have reclassified it asCorymbia ficifolia, but you’ll often find it sold by its traditional name.
Zones 10-11
Red Ironbark
Eucalyptus sideroxylonis called red ironbark because mature trees develop deeply furrowed reddish-brown bark.
This tree may grow upright to 80 feet tall or beweeping in formand remain below 20 feet tall.
The width ranges from 20 to 45 feet.
Leaves on juvenile plants are bluish-white and lancelike in shape.
Mature trees produce sickle-shaped leaves that turn bronze in winter.
Flower color varies from pinkish-white to red.
The silvery leaves are round and gray-green, giving rise to the tree’s common name.
As the plant ages, leaves become more oval and elongated.
Cut stems are often used in floral arrangements.
It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide.
Zones 8-11
Spotted Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus maculatais also sometimes classified asCorymbia maculata.
It gets its common name from its irregular bark coloration.
The bark sheds in flakes, leaving spots of white, gray, green, and pink.
The tree bears white flowers in summer.
In cultivation, it reaches 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide.
From late spring through summer it bears pink to white flowers, which attract birds.
On very hot days, forests of eucalyptus can be seen shrouded in a fog.
This is resulting from the oil compounds of the plant becoming vaporized due to the heat.
Eucalyptus trees are also notorious for being messy.
As many species age, they shed portions of their bark, littering the ground below.
On the plus side, this exfoliating bark can be quite beautiful, especially during the winter.
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May 22, 2024.
“Unravelling the bioherbicide potential of eucalyptus globulus labill: Biochemistry and effects of its aqueous extract.
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“California Invasive Plant Council.
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Eucalyptus Houseplants: Home.NYBG LuEsther T. Mertz Library Plant & Research Guides.
January 7, 2025.
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