Small eucalypts

A eucalypt should not always be thought of as a ‘giant gum tree’, not that there is anything wrong with giant gum trees. Large, old eucalypts are awe-inspiring, wonderful habitat, great at sequestering carbon, providing shade, mitigating strong wind, absorbing runoff, preventing erosion and much more and we should be doing all we can to protect them.

In today’s world though, where large homes are being built on small blocks, there isn’t room to safely plant a 30m eucalypt. It’s worth noting that over half of all eucalypt species are described as small trees, multi-stemmed mallees or shrubs. Mallee is an indigenous word for a group of eucalypts less than 10m high which have multiple stems growing from a lignotuber.

Some eucalypts can even be grown in containers and at Cranbourne Botanic Gardens they are experimenting with espalier eucalypts.

There are many references (see the end of this post) that can recommend small eucalypt species to suit all sorts of situations. New cultivars are becoming available very frequently – check with your favourite nursery.

Just as large gum trees do, small eucalypts provide food and shelter for insects and birds. Some small eucalypts, given time, are capable of developing hollows that wildlife can use.

Many small eucalypts are quick growing, have colourful flowers and bark, open canopies that provide dappled shade, grow in a variety of soil types, have fragrant foliage and readily accept being pruned to shrub size.

Many mallees can be coppiced if they get a bit large – chop them off at ground level and they will vigorously re-shoot from a lignotuber just under the ground.

Give a mallee a go!

 

References:

“Smaller Eucalypts for Planting in Australia”, Dean Nicolle, ISBN 9780646957906.

“Small Gums for Small Gardens”, Brian Walters, Australian Native Plants Society, LINK.

“Small Gum Trees”, Gardening Australia Factsheet, LINK.