Eucalyptus neglecta – Dargo Plains Omeo Gum – 1 of 4 great for part shade

Description Eucalyptus neglecta – Dargo Plains Omeo Gum – 1 of 4 great for part shade PLUS: LIMITED OFFER – FREE ECO-MULCH MAT KIT with every tree purchased (while stocks last) Very hardy, Eucalyptus neglecta ‘Dargo Plains’ is an excellent and useful small screening tree tolerant of a wide range of growing environments. Aesthetically, it is great for architectural planting and for Jurassic Park style gardens. For more information on how to deploy and grow this wonderful tree – click on to the tab labelled ‘How to Use’.  The tab ‘Planting Position and Soil’ tells you what its growing preferences are for soil type/water/environment etc. Nursery Notes and Trivia carries information about the stock currently growing on. Q; How does ‘Dargo Plains’ differ from the straight ‘Omeo’ Gum? A: Hardy Eucalyptus at Grafton Nursery have introduced ‘Dargo Plains’ to the UK.  Performance in the nursery so far has shown it to be: Slightly more vigorous than straight Omeo, so it should reach a good screening height more quickly The juvenile foliage is impressively large and more round – a very attractive characteristic Biometrics for Eucalyptus neglecta Shoots ‘n Leaves: New young shoots are pink/purple bronze. The whole tree canopy of Eucalyptus neglecta ‘Dargo Plains’ takes on a wonderful iced plum purple hue, when viewed from a distance during early to mid summer. Juvenile leaves are huge (can be up to 17 cm wide and long), rounded – like tea plates and glossy glaucous dark peacock-green, which in a cool moist climate (i.e.  most of UK) take on a wonderful purple tinge in the summer. Juvenile leaves persist for between 7-15 years before the shy adult leaves make an appearance. Adult leaves are large, broad lanceolate and sage-olive green. They remind me of bay leaves on steroids! Bark: Mature bark is variable: being smooth lime-custard through to rough pewter and coffee. Branchlets are glaucous and crinkley/corrugated in appearance and square in cross section. Flowers: White flowers appear in spherical groups of 7 to 15 buds per umbel – typically during July/August – loved by honey bees Fragrance: Wonderful – Strong typical fresh Eucalyptus aroma Rate of Growth: Initially very fast at up to 2m per annum then slowing down to a sedate pace of about 1m (3ft) per year Height: If given optimal growing conditions and not pruned back,  it will quickly become a small tree growing up to 5-7m tall  (21 ft-ish), which is impressive, given its huge leaf size. Very long term it may grow a little taller, but this is classified as a dwarf Eucalyptus. For further information on pruning – visit the tab entitled ‘How to Use’  also read our Guidance Notes here Responds well to regular annual pruning to keep it small either as a bushy shrub or shrub-onna-stick. If maintained as a coppiced/pollarded specimen, it will take on the size and shape of a Pittosporum  shrub or coppiced Hazel tree Hardiness:  Eucalyptus neglecta is noted for its exceptional cold hardiness and happy also in considerable heat;  tolerating down to around -12 °C to -15 °C mark, once mature. Hardiness in Eucalyptus is governed by provenance of seed, how it is grown (i.e. high nitrogen levels reduces cold tolerance), age of the tree – the older your tree, the hardier it will be. Younger Eucs are more susceptible to frost damage.  For further information – visit the tab entitled ‘How to Use’