Eucalyptus parvula – Small Leaved Kybean Gum – 1 of our absolute favourites

Description Eucalyptus parvula – Small Leaved Kybean Gum This is a brilliant species.  Many gardeners don’t realise just how good a species it is; a very versatile, adaptable Eucalyptus with many attributes.  E. parvula deserves to be more frequently planted. Ideal for the smaller garden, which cannot accommodate a large Eucalyptus. An interesting species, it has neat little leaves and a more compact habit than most of the other species; once described in our nursery as being like an alpine Hebe on steroids! Short term (first year), it forms a tall shrub. The following year, it grows into a small elegant tree of semi-weeping habit, ultimately with a broad spreading crown, where it retains some of its juvenile foliage (unusual for Eucalypts). Grow Eucalyptus parvula as a: standard tree screening tree – prune it, in its formative years, to form a bushy branch structure – grow as ‘shrub-on-a-stick’ multi-stemmed tree – several main trunks and a broad umbrella canopy with masses of leaves bushy shrub anywhere from 1.2m (4ft) up to 3.6m (12ft) – excellent for screening and cut foliage billowing bushy hedge – grow a line of bushy shrubs container subject – grows well in planters and patio pots  Learn more about growing in containers here For a deep dive into its many uses, hop over to the ‘How to Use’ tab. Planting position and Soil tab gives you all you need to know about the preferences of Eucalyptus parvula. The ‘Trivia’ tab is for the botanical nerd! I love this note from Euclid about the Australian distribution of E. parvula:“A small tree of restricted but scattered distribution on the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales east of Cooma, from near Badja south to Dragon Swamp near Cathcart, preferring damp cold sites on grassy plains.”  How can you resist a tree that hails from a place called Dragon Swamp? Biometrics for Eucalyptus parvula Shoots ‘n leaves: Young stems/shoots are often a maroon colour. Juvenile leaves can vary in shape and are usually quite small, blue green in colour, sometimes edged in maroon. Adult leaves: for Eucalyptus parvula the adult foliage is smaller than most Eucalyptus and pointed, but quite variable and not usually longer than 75 mm. Bark: Lovely, tactile, smooth bark in a golden biscuit to coffee colour with some violet-grey and foxy-russet, shredding in the upper tree branches. Flowers: Flowers of Eucalyptus parvula are white in groups of 7, usually in May and June time for several months. Leaf aroma: Fresh eucalyptus. Rate of growth: Relatively slow growing for a eucalyptus at around 1 meter per year. Height in maturity, if left unpruned:  Eventually around 10 meters.  E. parvula responds exceptionally well to being pollarded and pruned.  It can be cultivated to grow as a shrub-on-a-stick, lollipop form and multi-stemmed bush or tree. Pruning is best carried out when the sap is actively rising. Prune on or around March 18th (National Eucalyptus Day UK) and again at the end of May (The Chelsea Chop). Tip pruning during the summer is also a great idea.  Avoid voluntarily pruning your Eucs from end of August through to end of February unless you are growing for cut foliage or you have a broken branch. Late season pruning carries the risk of your Euc catching the fatal silver-leaf fungus (Chondostereum purpureum). Click here to visit our Pruning Diagrams and Guidance Notes Click here to see our Pruning Video Hardiness: Root-system is extremely hardy down to -16 to -18°C.  Eucalyptus parvula, along with E. gunnii and E. pauciflora debeuzevillei, is one of the very hardiest of the Eucalypts. Young trees are more susceptible to frost damage at low temperatures; hardiness improves with age and refers to the lignotuber, not the foliage. Eucalyptus parvula – Small Leaved Kybean Gum 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 learn more about what you can do to help your Eucalyptus become more hardy after planting