How to Grow Cider Gum Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus foliage is green-silver.

The Cider Gum eucalyptus is a fast-growing evergreen tree that can reach up to 50 feet in height. It is cold-hardy in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10. The tree produces coin-shaped leaves. Cider Gum trees are low-maintenance and drought- tolerant, making them good shade trees or landscaping near streets. Growing this variety of eucalyptus requires regular watering during the first year, though it does not require the same amount of care thereafter.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• General-purpose water-soluble fertilizer

Instructions

1. Select a planting site that gets a full eight hours of sunlight daily, and has any soil composition except clay-heavy. The site should have well-draining soil and be large enough to accommodate the tree's full size, which can be up to 50 feet high and 30 feet wide.

2. Plant the tree in spring, after the last frost. Dig a hole in the planting site that is twice the width of the nursery container, and just as deep. Remove the tree from the container and lower it into the hole.

3. Backfill the hole with soil until the tree is at the same depth it was in the container. Water until the soil settles.

4. Continue watering frequently enough to keep the soil moist during the first growing season. After the tree is established, allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

5. Apply a general-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer to the soil around the base of the tree, according to the package directions. Apply the fertilizer each spring before the tree produces new growth.

References

• Plants for a Future: Eucalyptus gunnii - Hook.f.
• Monrovia: Cider Gum
• Walter Reeves: Eucalyptus