Eucalyptus gregsoniana – The Wolgan Snow Gum – 1 of wonderful Snow Gums

Description Eucalyptus gregsoniana – The Wolgan Snow Gum – 1 of wonderful Snow Gums A small tree or multi-branched, slender-stemmed mallee – unique and unusual for a snow gum – easy to grow and manage. A light, open airy habit, it is ideal for a sheltered garden or coastal region. Although this species is genetically a mallee (multi-stemmed), it can be grown either with many stems or easily cultivated to maintain a single trunk. Our nursery trees are mainly grown as single stemmed standards.  Occasionally we offer a few multi-stemmed specimens. Hop over to the ‘How to Use’ Tab to explore the many ways to grow and train this amazing tree Visit the ‘Soil and Planting Preferences’Tab to learn more about how to keep your Wolgan Snow Gum happy – its likes and dislikes Trivia is just that – but interesting nevertheless! Biometrics for Eucalyptus gregsoniana Shoots ‘n’ Leaves: New buds are a bright emerald green. Young stems are a delicious burgundy wine red, sometimes with shades of tangerine. Juvenile foliage: Long slender olive green leaves. Adult foliage: Glossy slender willow-like leaves of dark olive green, hang in attractive bunches from slender weeping crimson branchlets. Each leaf is approximately 70-100 mm long and 10-25 mm wide, with prominent parallel venation. Bark:  Mature bark is silvery pewter grey, sometimes with sable or flecks of gold; peels beautifully in ribbons, to reveal smooth creamy white bark. Flowers: Magnificent!   White fluffy and very profuse, attractive pollinating insects, butterflies and bees. Flower clusters are spherical, a little larger than a golf ball carried in large numbers – flowers May/June – very impressive. Leaf Aroma: Typical Eucalyptus aroma – but not strong. Snow gums don’t carry a strong fragrance Rate of Growth: Eucalyptus gregsoniana is slow growing at 1m per year, responds well to having its head pruned at the correct time of year. Height in maturity, if left unpruned:  Short term – around 12 feet.  It should not exceed 18-20 feet over a 15 year time-frame. To keep your Eucalyptus gregsoniana nice and bushy, prune back the previous years growth around the time of National Eucalyptus Day. To encourage more branching, tip prune the new growth, produced from April onwards, by halving the new growth at the end of May. Click here to read our guidance notes on how and when to prune a Eucalyptus. Click here to see a short video on pruning Eucalyptus on National Eucalyptus Day – March 18th Hardiness:  Eucalyptus gregsoniana is supposedly not as hardy as other snow gums, but the root-system should be generally good down to  -8°C, possibly down to -12°C, when mature. Great species for the more southerly counties of England (draw a line across the country east from Gloucester), also the West coast of England and Scotland OR  if you are a Garden Pioneer and like a challenge – a sheltered garden anywhere else – give it a go. Strangely enough – it is growing well in the ground at Grafton Nursery! It may be worth providing a newly planted young tree with a horticultural fleece tent for the very coldest times in a very cold winter, until mature and well established. Hardiness in Eucalyptus is governed by provenance of seed (all our seed is sourced from frosty or cold locations) how it is grown (i.e. high nitrogen levels reduces cold tolerance), the age of the tree – the older your tree, the hardier it will be. Younger Eucs are more susceptible to frost damage. how long it has been planted in the ground. The deeper you can encourage the rooting by digging a deep planting pit at the time of installation, the quicker your tree will establish and you will increase its ability to survive cold winters. See our planting notes for more details. Click here to read our guidance notes on Hardiness in Eucalyptus in the UK Tolerant of arid environments, poor stony dry soils once established. It is essential that your Eucalyptus gregoniana is given our recommended quantity of water for its first 2 growing seasons in your grounds, during its establishment phase before you abandon it to its fate. The tree needs to establish a good root system before it can survive in dry, challenging conditions.