Several of the eucalypts planted three or more years ago are now in bud. A couple of them have kept the buds for several months over the summer, while some of the others seem to be budding up for the first time.
Last Spring was extremely wet, and we lost a few Acacias – and a couple of Eucalypts that were never happy with the cold and wet of Winter anyway. Last summer, however, was dry and there were several of the usual hot days, so I assume that the roots of many of the plants had been either drowned or encouraged by the constant damp, and then stressed by the dry. It could be that these eucalypts were inspired by conditions to try to reproduce. The whole idea of the plantings was to experiment and take note of what happens, so this post is a record of some of the changes.
This E. incrassata is one I tried for the second time I tried to grow dryland eucalypt incrassata. The first attempt was on the usually favoured (by natives) front ex-weed-plum slope, but that one didn’t last more than one winter there. This one is planted in the upper south paddock, in front of (i.e. to the north of) a couple of large Acacia: one provincialis (planted by me) and one mearnsii (already there). This individual plant seems more robust than the previous incrassata since it has survived last spring’s constant damp. At the same time, it is still no higher than hip height at 5 years old. The photo does not show the buds too well, as they are small and hidden by leaves in this image, but their discovery by me was a source of great interest..
Next up, the second planted E. preissiana, this one located in the mid-south paddock.
This second E. preissiana planted on the property seems to be coping with conditions – despite it being in semi shade some of the day, as well as being in what I assume is shallow soil over granite boulders. Many of the leaves died back after last spring’s constant water runoff flowing past its roots, but it is now regrowing, and putting out buds. It is still only about knee height, however.
The first preissiana was planted the year before in the front windmill patch in full sun and on a slope, but every summer the leaves die back due to it not being able to cope with the heat, and despite being watered. That plant has a substantial lignotuber, and so it starts resprouting as soon as the weather cools down and water is applied. However, that first E. preissiana has not even been able to produce flower buds yet.
The next image shows the buds on the oldest E. scoparia on the property, in the same part of the mid-south paddock as the previously shown E. preissiana.
This first E. scoparia planted by me, was located in a position which seemed to be similar to species scoparia’s original locale on the granite belt of the Northern Tablelands of NSW – since this patch in the middle of the ‘south paddock’ is on a slope punctuated by large surface granite boulders.
The tree grew very fast and always looked like the classic scoparia with the long thin vertically hanging leaves and white trunk. Unfortunately, last spring’s weather which caused the constant waterlogging of the soil, combined with the tree’s top-heavy growth, provided conditions for it to lean under the usual wind stress that this property experiences. So far, it seems to be OK with its new aspect, but one of its previous attractions (for me) was its straight vertical posture. While the flowers are not the reason for growing this eucalypt, I’m sure the insects will be happy when they come out.
This is the first E. websteriana planted on this property and, like the previous E. scoparia, it was planted in the mid south paddock, but slightly lower down the slope, in a small swale between two broad surface granite boulders. This one has produced buds and flowers every year since it was planted, and so a second one was planted further down the slope of the south paddock in similar conditions behind a surface granite boulder. That one has similarly produced buds and flowers every year, although both plants are no higher than waist height.
Slightly further down the slope of the south paddock, is what I think is probably the driest patch on the property. This is where I planted the Eucalyptus mcquoidii to see whether it would fare well in Victoria.
It was just recently that I even noticed these flower buds on the E. mcquoidii, and at first wondered whether they were actually spent flowers rather than buds. They are located under the canopy of the leaves, and so are difficut to see. At about 4 and a half years old, the tree is now about waist height, and looks fairly healthy, with a rounded canopy and shiny green with orange-tinged leaves. as mentioned above, it’s planted in the lower south paddock in a location that always seems dry with small crystal gravelly soil – so that when watered it becomes soggy and liquid. It has close neighbours of local box and camaldulensis.
At the bottom of the south paddock, a 5 year old Eucalyptus cernua, one of the first planted after we moved here in late 2016. This species had been successful in a suburban garden in Adelaide, so I wanted to use its reliabilty here as well – also hoping that this time the flowers might turn out to be red. No luck. Last year was its first flowering and the flowers were yellowish white. At the same time, it has indeed been reliable, growing without much attention and with no issues at all.
Next image is of Eucalyptus brockwayi (Dundas Mahogany), with the buds that have been on the tree for the last 6 months at least. Although I’ve read that this is a fast growing species, so far it has remained at about chest height for the last couple of years. However, after its first summer, it is never given supplementary water, and seems robust.
The following image shows some of the buds on the E. occidentalis. At 4 years old, this is the first time buds have been noticed on the tree which has always been happy in this location which is seasonally boggy. During its first summer, it needed to be given some supplementary watering, but since then it has needed to cope with the hot and dry conditions of summer without assistance.
The following image shows some of the buds on the Eucalyptus synandra growing in the ‘ex-weed-plum slope’. The plant does not look very robust and is regularly attacked by some sort of insect, but it after last year’s first flowering, it seems to have produced a couple of buds again. On the other hand, its close neighbour and relation, the E. rosacea, is much more robust in appearance, but has so far never flowered.
Next is a poor image of the buds on the E. calycogona. This plant is still just over knee height, despite being 4 years old. Its location on the ‘ex-weed-plum slope’ is also protected by large Acacias, and it needed supplementary watering the first two summers of its life there. It first flowered last year, and now has new buds. In the image can been seen the original plastic frost protector sleeve, since it was believed that the young calycogona was frost sensitive.
Next image a close-up of the buds on the 5 year old E. stricklandii, most of which have been there since last winter. This tree is planted on what is called the ‘driveway triangle’, on the north side of the property. Some of the buds semi-opened during the summer, and the flowers appear to be yellowish white in colour.
In the following image, the buds of the second-planted E. pyriformis can be seen. The first pyriformis planted, in the so-called ‘driveway triangle’ on the other side of the driveway from this plant’s location, has flowered every year – but this individual only produced one flower last year. This year, there seems to be a few more. Images of the actual flowers of this plant can be seen in a previous post.
The next image shows the buds on the Eucalyptus woodwardii planted on the boundary of the ex-weed-plum slope. This is the second E. woodwardii I’ve planted, and mainly because they do not seem to care whether they are watered too often or given much attention to grow and to survive.
Lots of buds on the Eucalyptus “winterlight” at the moment. Some of them are captured in the following image of the tree planted in the ‘north triangle’. This is the first year that it has flowered, but unfortunately, I didn’t record the date it was planted. It was an early planting, however, so it is at leat 4 or 5 years old. It is also the only eucalypt planted in the north triangle, which is located under the dam, and which remained boggy for several months at the end of last year, – and which also caused a number of plants (some grevillea and some acacia) to die.
Finally for this post, a recently noticed first budding of the Eucalyptus “Moon Lagoon”. Planted in mid 2017, it has been there for over 5 years, never reached higher than waist height, and often ‘attacked’ by passing kangaroos. Apart from that it has always looked healthy, regularly putting out new growth and not caring about frosty winters, and dry hot summers.
