Eucalyptus glaucescens Central Victoria

Eucalyptus glaucescens Central Victoria is a rapidly growing variety, with robust vegetation, demonstrating good hardiness, able to withstand down to -15°C (5 °F) once well established. It finds a place in a large garden, where its presence is quickly noticed with evergreen foliage with bluish colourations and bark becoming particularly decorative with age. The young foliage, very colourful and aromatic, is very popular in floral compositions. It tolerates limestone but requires moist soil, not too dry in summer. Undemanding and attractive all year round, its placement in the garden requires a suitable location. In February-March quite insignificant flowers appear, but they are fragrant and particularly attractive to bees. After flowering, it tolerates pruning well, and its good regenerative abilities allow it to be grown with a single or multiple trunk.

Eucalyptus glaucescens is a beautiful tree with fairly rapid growth, varying in size depending on where it is located, between 15 and 40 metres (49 feet 2 inches and 131 feet 2 inches). However, in our climates, it rarely exceeds 15 metres (49 feet 2 inches) in height. Commonly named Tingiringi Gum Tree, it belongs to the Myrtaceae family. The species glaucescens is native to the mountainous areas of the extreme southeast of Australia, on either side of the border between New South Wales and the state of Victoria in the high altitude zones represented by The Great Dividing Range, the Erica, Hotham, Brumby Point, Tingiringi or Tinderry and Tidbinbilla Ranges near Canberra. The glaucous colour of this eucalyptus' foliage aptly names the species: glaucescens, which comes from the Latin "glaucus" for the blue-green colour and "-escens" which means "becoming". It is recognisable by the white wax that coats the branches, floral buds and fruits.

The Central Victoria variety is named after a rural region of the Australian state of Victoria, which is located south of New South Wales and north of Greater Melbourne. In this region with a temperate climate with wet winters and hot, dry summers, it is found on moist, but well-drained soils. Vigorous and fast-growing, this gum tree develops several trunks from its base, able to reach a height of about 15 m (49 ft 2 in) and a spread of 7 to 9 m (23 to 29 ft 6 in) at maturity, depending on the soil type and climate. Its branched structure, around one or more trunks, forms a wide, quite dense crown, with a spread-out habit. A well-established specimen can withstand brief frosts of -15°C (5 °F), but this varies depending on the age of the tree, the duration of the frost and the rise in daytime temperatures, as well as the soil moisture.

When young, the Eucalyptus glaucescens Central Victoria displays many pink and reddish branches bearing juvenile foliage, densely implanted, composed of rounded silver-blue leaves. At this stage of rapid growth, the bark becomes silver-green. Then, as it develops, the leaves take a lanceolate shape, 8 to 15 cm (3.1 to 5.9 in) long by 3 cm (1.2 in) wide, shiny or dull, glaucous (green to blue-green). The leathery leaves are slightly aromatic and give off fruity aromas when crushed, rich in eucalyptol. As it ages, the chalky white bark, on its upper part, peels off in long strips, revealing a smooth, multicoloured underlayer of coffee, tin, orange, green, cream and salmon pink. The mature bark on the lower part of the tree is often fibrous and coffee-coloured. Flowering occurs in February-March in our climates, on plants a few years old. The inflorescence, borne by a short petiole, is composed of 3 floral buds, glaucous or yellow-green, cylindrical from 3 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in), delicately scented and very attractive to bees.

This eucalyptus has a lignotuber, made up of a starch-rich swelling that forms on the roots just below the soil surface. This organ allows it to regrow from the stump in case of severe frost, fire or severe pruning. The plant also produces numerous shoots from dormant buds located under its bark, which allows it to respond well to coppicing, pollarding or more severe pruning. Note that the alpine gum tree tolerates snow, wind and sea spray perfectly. Its shallow root system is less dangerous for buildings and competes less with other garden plants. And its vegetation only provides very light shade.

The Tingiringi Gum Tree finds a place in the garden planted alone in a clear space to appreciate the beauty of its bark and the elegance of its foliage. In order to highlight its architectural habit, it is grown with a single trunk or multi-trunks. It tolerates both semi-mountain and semi-arid climates in summer, and its cold resistance goes down to -15°C (5 °F). Comfortable in moist but not swampy soils, it has the ability to dry them out.