Growing an Eucalyptus in a pot

Which variety to choose?

Compact varieties are best suited for pot cultivation.

• Eucalyptus ‘Baby Blue’ : it forms a bush with a pyramidal, dense, and well-ramified habit, featuring very blue, rounded foliage. Additionally, it produces cream-white pompom flowers in spring.
• Eucalyptus gunnii ‘France Bleu Rengun’: this variety forms a small bush with very fine, bluish foliage. At ripeness, it reaches a maximum height of 2 m and a width of 1 m.
• Eucalyptus gunnii ‘Azura’: Eucalyptus ‘Azura’ is distinguished by its hardiness (down to -12 / -15 °C) and forms a narrow, well-ramified bush with grey-blue foliage. Although it can reach up to 10 m in height at maturity, if pruned annually, it will remain compact in size.

The foliage of Eucalyptus ‘Baby Blue’, ‘France Bleu Rengun’, and ‘Azura’

What type of pot to choose?

Choose a large terracotta or plastic pot for your Eucalyptus. It must be fitted with drainage holes to allow excess watering to escape. Terracotta has the advantage of being porous, thus preventing excess moisture and allowing for better root aeration. It is therefore particularly suitable for growing Eucalyptus. However, keep in mind that watering will need to be more frequent, and terracotta pots are much heavier than plastic ones, making them more difficult to handle. Plastic pots, on the other hand, are more economical and lightweight, but they are also less aesthetically pleasing, less eco-friendly, and retain more moisture.

As for the dimensions, we recommend choosing a pot that is three times the size of the root ball. The pot size obviously depends on the size and age of your Eucalyptus. To give you an idea, if it is already forming a bush one metre high, choose a pot that is at least 40 cm in all dimensions.

Eucalyptus ‘France Bleu Rengun’

What substrate to use?

Eucalyptus needs a light, well-draining substrate that does not retain too much moisture. We recommend planting it in a mix of one third potting soil, one third well-decomposed compost, and one third coarse sand for drainage. It is also important to provide a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot: this can be made up of gravel, broken pots, pumice, or clay balls.

When and how to plant?

We recommend planting the Eucalyptus in a pot in spring.

1. Start by soaking the root ball in a basin filled with water for about ten minutes to rehydrate it.
2. In the meantime, prepare the pot to accommodate the Eucalyptus. Place a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot, about 5 cm thick, using materials such as clay balls, gravel, or broken pots.
3. Next, add the substrate (a mix of potting soil, compost, and coarse sand) to fill one third of the height of the pot.
4. Gently remove the Eucalyptus from its original pot, then scratch the bottom and sides of the root ball slightly to untangle the roots.
5. Place it in the new pot, ensuring it is centred. The top of the root ball should be a few centimetres below the upper edge of the pot. Make sure its trunk is straight.
6. Fill in by adding a bit of substrate, then lightly compact it to ensure good contact between the soil and the roots.
7. Water generously.
8. Feel free to add a layer of organic mulch on the surface of the substrate.

All that’s left is to place the Eucalyptus in a sunny spot, sheltered from cold winds.

Start by placing a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot, then add the substrate and install the Eucalyptus.

How to care for a potted Eucalyptus?

Watering

Water the Eucalyptus preferably with rainwater, as tap water may be too hard for it. Plan to water it once or twice a week in spring and summer, then reduce watering in autumn and winter. For winter, watering once a month to once every 15 days should suffice. It is important to allow the substrate to dry briefly between waterings.

Pruning

Eucalyptus generally do not need to be pruned; however, they grow quickly, and annual pruning will help maintain a compact habit. Additionally, Eucalyptus gunnii are typically grown for their attractive juvenile foliage, which is quite unique. Thus, pruning the bush each year will rejuvenate it and preserve this foliage! The best time to intervene is at the end of winter or the beginning of spring, in March-April. Use disinfected pruning shears and shorten the branches by cutting just above a node (the point where leaves attach to the stem).

Wintering

The most compact Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus ‘Baby Blue’ and Eucalyptus ‘France Bleu Rengun’, which are well-suited for pot cultivation, are unfortunately frost-sensitive. They are vulnerable to winter temperatures around –10 °C. Therefore, it is best to bring them indoors for the winter to protect them from the cold. Place your Eucalyptus in a cold greenhouse, a conservatory, or a bright, unheated room. You can take it outside again in spring, as soon as there is no longer a risk of frost.

Repotting

Repot the Eucalyptus every two to three years, at the beginning of spring, using a pot that is slightly larger than the previous one each time. In the years when you do not repot it, perform a top dressing: remove the substrate from the top few centimetres, then replace it with fresh potting soil. This helps to refresh the substrate and provide new mineral elements to the eucalyptus.